The consumer buying market isn’t the same as it was five years ago. Your website shouldn’t be the same either. Even if your business hasn’t changed, customer expectations about how a website should look and function have changed. The Media Relations team uses several tools, including our Strategically Aimed Marketing (SAM 6®) process, to ensure all websites we build and/or manage are meeting customer expectations. Is your website keeping up?
Test #1: Design
An outdated website isn’t doing your business any favors. Take a critical look at your website: Is it using up-to-date design trends? Is it easy to navigate? Does it incorporate your current branding? Modern websites contain images, text and graphics that draw visitors in and encourage them to linger. They also make good use of white space. If your website is boxy, contains Flash, has small text, a splash screen or has an overly complicated structure, it’s probably time for an update.
Review your website’s bounce rate on Google Analytics. This number refers to the percentage of people who quickly leave your site. If it’s more than 60 percent, give us a call.
Test #2: Mobile friendliness
Mobile-only users now surpass desktop-only users which means that every website needs to perform well on a smaller screen. We use responsive web design to ensure websites we build function as well on a smartphone as they do on a PC.
Check to see if your website is mobile friendly by entering its URL into Google’s mobile-friendly testing tool. If you don’t pass, call us immediately.
Test #3: Speed
A slow-loading site will deter customers. Most visitors expect a site to load in two seconds or less and many will leave if it isn’t loaded in three seconds. If your page has too many redirects, unoptimized images or is built on an outdated platform, visitors may experience slow load times.
Check your mobile speed performance by entering your site’s URL into Google’s mobile performance tool. Google’s PageSpeed tool is another great resource to check desktop speed. Give us a call if your results concern you.
Test #4: Content
Content is truly king when it comes to websites. Unfortunately, many marketers don’t consider the users’ experience when creating that content. That leads to disappointed visitors who may quickly leave the page to get the information they crave. Our SAM 6 process helps ensure that all content aligns with your marketing strategy. It’s an indispensable component of website development.
Request a free website consultation from Media Relations Agency. One of our digital experts will personally review your site and get back to you with ideas that will help strengthen your website’s power. You can also call us at 952-697-5269.
