What makes up a high performing website?
A high performing website should carry out 3 main roles; to attract the right people, to inform the visitor in exactly what they are looking for and to convert that user into a sale or enquiry. It is a complex system that needs to cater to the needs of both the users and the business owners. I am going to break down these 3 main roles in this blog post:
1 - Attract from multiple different sources like Google (SEO), Social media and referrals
The first step to a high performing website is to attract visitors from multiple sources. It is essential to have a website that is optimized for search engines, social media, and referrals. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimising a website to rank higher in search engine results pages. A well-optimised website can attract visitors who are actively looking for a product or service. This is why it is essential to have an SEO strategy in place.
Social media is another powerful tool for attracting visitors to a website. With billions of active users on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, it is essential to have a strong social media presence. A website should have social media icons that allow visitors to share content easily. This will help to attract more visitors and increase engagement.
Referrals are also a valuable source of traffic for a website. Referrals can come from other websites, word of mouth, or business partners. Referrals are often highly targeted and have a higher conversion rate than other sources of traffic. It is essential to have a referral strategy in place to maximize the potential of referrals.
2 - Inform with great design, customer journeys and written content
Once visitors arrive at your website, it is essential to inform them about your brand or products, but in a timely and friction free manor. People are pretty easily distracted and impatient these days, if they don’t receive the information they are looking for quickly, they are likely to leave your website and find somewhere that does. A well-designed website can make a great first impression on visitors by having a clean and modern design that is easy to navigate. Don’t forget to have clear calls to action (CTAs) that guide visitors towards the desired actions.
Customer journeys are the paths that visitors take on a website. This can be achieved by using analytics to track visitor behavior and optimizing the website accordingly. Your website should also have relevant and engaging written content which is easy to read, informative, and optimised for search engines.
3 - Convert - by sending the right people through the right channels so the user can achieve their goals and the business can gain more sales or enquiries
The final step to a high performing website is to convert visitors into customers. Your website should be able to send the right people through the right channels so the user can achieve their goals, and the business can gain more sales or enquiries. You can make sure you are achieving this on your website by using analytics to track visitor behavior and then optimising your website accordingly.
To achieve conversion on your website, you should have a variety of conversion channels. This can include forms, chatbots, phone numbers, and email addresses. Don’t forget to have a clear value proposition that explains the benefits of the product or service so your website visitors are keen to get in touch.
In conclusion, a high performing website is a complex system that needs to cater to the needs of both the users and the business owners. It should begin by being a magnet and attracting the right people. Once your visitors have arrived, it’s time to provide the information they are looking for, whilst selling your services or products. Now you’ve pitched your services through your content, your website will need to convert these “browsers” into leads or sales with the right channels in place.
A high performing website is so much more than a pretty face!
References:
Design Rush A Fantastic blog post of trends and commerce education
