Once upon a time, all you needed was a simple website to be successful.  However, today’s internet landscape, search engine algorithms, and super savvy consumers demand much more from a business website.

Websites today tell stories, serve as roadmaps and digital card catalogs for information sharing, and are one of the top sales tools a business has in their arsenal.

Today we are going to break down the essential elements we feel a business website needs in order to be successful.

Business Website Elements

While design and customization that fits the needs of your customers is critical, there are a few elements that are must-haves for your website:

• A visible call-to-action on the home page: A CTA is used to guide the user into the path you want them to take on your website.  This could be to register or make a purchase.
• Videos throughout your website: While text-content is still king, digital-content, such as videos, are the most shared and easily consumed content online.  Videos can tell a story about your company or deliver a persuasive and entertaining sales message.
• Blogs and customer reviews: Today’s shoppers are savvy and typically will not purchase a product without doing their research first.  Blogs and customer reviews are a great way to help build a sense of trust and sway a shopper your way during the purchase process.
• Converting content: Converting content is something you offer the user in exchange for their information (name and email).  What it does is offer information for free to the consumer and provides your business with information for your email marketing list.
• Company details and contact information: No consumer is going to purchase something without knowing about the company first.  So details about the company and how to contact you is a must.  Want to win additional points? Include images and videos of your employees and your office too.  This helps to foster a relationship and makes your company seem more real (like that of a brick and mortar store).
• Services and products: Obviously you’ll want to list your services and products so a consumer can see them, but this also helps out with your search engine optimization.  All content on your website, including images and videos, helps to explain to search engines what you offer and helps search engines figure out when to show your company in search results.
• Google tracking and analytics: Once your website is up and running, you should keep tabs on how it’s performing.  With services like Google Analytics, you’ll be able to see where your customers are coming from and what pages they are interacting with the most.

Ready to ramp up your business website?  Contact SBOS Web Solutions for your free website evaluation and let us define a plan of success for a unique website your business.