Usually, when employees aren’t doing their jobs, they are let go after a period of time. Why isn’t the same standard used for company websites? If it’s not working how you imagined, why are you allowing it to damage your business’s credibility and reputation? Your site should work for you, and work well, providing support and answers as an employee would.

Customers undergo an experience when working with a representative from a certain company, which can be good, bad, or neutral. Ideally of course, you’d like everyone to have the greatest experience ever, creating an everlasting memory of how amazing your company is. But if your website isn’t creating an experience, how will that awesomeness be conveyed to customers upfront? The Entrepreneur magazine highlights some key elements that customers want to see on a website:

Differentiators

• What makes your business different from others in your category? Get straight to the point.

What exactly does your company do?

• After viewing your website, a visitor should know enough about the services/products that your company offers to determine whether or not it’s applicable to them.

Contact Information (phone number, email, AND address)

• How is someone going to contact you if there is no contact information on the site? Some people don’t want to fill out a form and wait. Each method of contacting your business should be on the site so the customer can choose whichever they are most comfortable with.

Testimonials or case studies

• What success have other customers had? How did they use your services, and what was the outcome?

Simplicity

• It shouldn’t take Lewis & Clark to find pertinent information on your site. Make it easy for the user to navigate the website and locate what they need.

“Clear calls to action”

• If the customer wants to take the next steps, what are they? Where do you tell them this? If they can’t find it, see you later. The process should be easy to follow, and users should be CERTAIN that they have completed the necessary steps in the proper order.

Personalize it

• You’re a small business; this is where you can shine

When creating your website, it's important to keep your customers in mind. You want your website to be engaging, informative and give your website visitors the information they're looking for quickly and easily. In addition, incorporating live chat software such as Pure Chat can help you answer any additional questions visitors may have, and can help improve the user experience on your site.

Finally, usability is not only important on your website, but also for those creating it. With website building platforms like Websites 360®, business owners can easily make website changes without having to worry about hiring a web developer team. After all, you know your customer best. Create the online presence you've always wanted and give your customers a great online experience with these tools today!