In a digital world with close to 2 billion websites on the internet, users tend to bounce around from site to site in search of a suitable answer or solution to the problem they have or to find the information that they seek.
Did you know that the average user spends 15 seconds or less on a website? With the attention spans of viewers decreasing at an alarming rate, it is safe to say that with only 15 seconds, it’s a really good idea to know how to make your website stand out.
High bounce rates and the loss of business opportunities are a reality without a strong and unique website, especially with a large number of competitors; standing out can be a grueling task. Here at ICT Mates, we’ve experience making our Digital Agency’s website engaging and relevant for users. We suggest you use these tips and pointers to help your business website stand out in a saturated market.
How to make your website stand out?
At ICT Mates, we feel that everyone deserves a chance to be successful and should know how to make their website stand out.
Consider the following when creating your company website:
- Ranking
Firstly, you need your website to feature at the top of Google or any other search engine search results page so that users will know where to find you.
Let’s say, for example, that you have a company specializing in social media marketing. You would want your company’s website to appear when users search for keywords like “social media marketing agency” or “social media specialists.” To achieve this, you would need to include these specific keywords on your web pages.
To lead more people to your website, you could provide users with insightful blogs, articles, how-to guides, and other informative resources. You should include popular ranking keywords within these resources specific to your industry.
In reality, nobody ever goes to the second or third page of a search engine’s results to find the answers they seek. This is why it makes sense to rank on the first page.
Another important factor to consider is that once users land on your homepage, it needs to be direct, engaging, and relevant to their search query. If not, the chance that they will leave is pretty high. And the faster users click off your site, the lower your site ranks in search.
- Design
When it comes to the design element of your website, various factors need to be considered to perfectly execute a captivating, unique, and memorable overall look and feel of your website.
Firstly, cohesive branding is a major key aspect. Quality brand design forms the foundation of any good website.
Visual branding includes logo design, a color palette, and font selection. It could also include photo curation, mood boards, or any other resources that represent the general aesthetic of your brand.
Secondly, the pictures and images on your website’s homepage hold high importance. Images serve a greater purpose than just making your design look good. Photos should be high-quality, professional, and match your brand aesthetic.
Images that are used effectively have the ability to gain your business excessive traffic and, therefore, conversions, whether that may be sales or inquiries. As humans, our bodies and minds have been designed in such a way that we react to certain forms of visual and audio stimulants. Hence, if your website has appealing imagery, this will not only attract the attention of users but also spark emotions and draw them in. Images can improve the user experience and help users easily understand and digest information.
The third aspect of your website design is a compelling copy. Words carry immense power, and as the great Robin Sharma said, “Words can inspire. And words can destroy. Choose yours well.”
This quote says it perfectly, the words you choose can either have the power to connect with your audience on a deeper, more personal level, inspiring and enabling them to spend more time on your website, or if not chosen wisely, they can be deemed irrelevant and force the user to be uninterested and leave your website.
- Navigation
Being able to navigate through your website easily has to be one of the most crucial aspects of usability.
People nowadays don’t have the patience or attention to progress through multiple clicks to find the information they are looking for. Too many clicks and users are gone. Good navigation helps the user find their way around your website in a simple, intuitive, and structured way.
When creating your website, ensure that your main navigation tab consists of your most important pages; these are usually the pages you want to direct users to visit. To do this, it’s important to highlight these pages.
Navigating a website shouldn’t be a slow process, either. Websites that have slow-loading pages encourage users to exit your website firmly. As mentioned earlier, users have no patience or the attention span to hang around and wait for new web pages to load. In fact, a recent study discovered that 40% of people would leave a website with a loading speed of longer than 3 seconds.
- Domain
Lastly, I would like to turn your attention to your domain name. A domain name is basically your digital street address.
If you want your domain to stand out and be unique, there is an array of factors you might want to consider when selecting your website address. Your domain name should be strong, eccentric, and closely represent your business name, making it easier for customers to find you.
Domain names are important for 3 very crucial reasons:
- Technically your domain name is your first impression – Your URL is the first thing your visitors will see. And as the saying goes, “First impressions, last,” so make it count.
- It impacts SEO – Having a relevant keyword in your domain name can help your SEO ranking.
- Your domain name defines your brand – If chosen correctly and intuitively, your domain name can form a branding opportunity and can significantly increase your brand recognition.
