Imagine you need to order a cake from a local bakery. You have two bakeries in mind, so you visit both to get the details.
When you arrive at the first bakery, the paint is peeling, the sign is crooked and the windows look dirty. The second storefront is adorable. The door is painted in a cheerful color, there is a fun window display and a beautiful window box of flowers.
Which bakery do you want to order from? I’m guessing you would choose the one with the cute, welcoming storefront that is well taken care of. A good first impression is everything when it comes to a storefront or website.
You want your website to be like the inviting bakery. Your website is your greatest asset and your digital welcome mat, so you must treat it with care.
Even if you aren’t a tech genius, with a few easy tweaks, you can make a great first impression. Making these fixes will uplevel your site so you can start making more sales!
3 Easy Website Tweaks You Can Make Today:
Clearly Communicate Who You Are and What You Do
When clients arrive on your website, do they get a good understanding of what you do and how you can help them? You want to clearly communicate the purpose of your business so visitors stay engaged with your website. Visitors will leave your site if they are unsure of your purpose. Communicate your purpose via a clear tagline or a welcome paragraph.
Add a Personal Touch
If you run a small business, don’t be afraid to place a photo of yourself on your homepage and another on the about page. When you share your photo, clients are able to relate to you and get a better idea of you as a person. Remember, people hire people.
While it is not essential, having photos taken by a professional photographer will help to elevate your brand. An experienced photographer will be able to help you keep your brand looking consistent and make you feel comfortable while taking your photo. If you can’t afford a professional photographer, have a friend or family member take a few photos of you with a digital camera. On your homepage, stay away from selfies, photos taken 10 years ago and group photos where you cut yourself out.
A Clear Navigation
If your website navigation is confusing, site visitors will leave your website. You want your navigation to be clear and easy to read. If you are unsure if your navigation is confusing, conduct a quick usability test.
When putting your navigation together, think about how you want clients to navigate through the website. Arrange your navigation to tell your story and lead them to the sale.
Keep the number of navigation choices to a minimum. Our short term memory can only hold seven items, therefore, when there are less choices, there is less overwhelm. And with less choices, the easier it is to navigate your website.
Make navigation link titles clear, not creative. Use standard terms visitors have come to expect such as home, about, contact, blog, shop, etc.
When a potential client arrives on your website, you want to make sure you are making a good first impression. When your site communicates your purpose, is personal and easy to use, you will draw the right clients in and repel those who may not be a good fit.