When’s the last time you updated your website?
In today’s digital age, web design best practices are always evolving– and yet, there are a handful of core design elements that your website really should have at all times. Think about it: your website is a marketing tool that works for you around the clock, marketing to digital users from all corners of the web.
So, take a look at these key ingredients for keeping your online brand presence polished and up-to-date.
1. Mobile Friendly Design.
This used to be an option, but not anymore. Your site will be viewed on more mobile devices than desktops, and that statistic is growing every day.
When a website is optimized for the mobile experience, it’s called a responsive site. We optimize every single website we design for mobile, because it’s 100% relevant to digital users today. You wouldn’t want to exclude any of your site visitors and lose potential clients in the process by only tailoring to desktop viewing, would you?
2. High Quality Imagery.
We’ll be honest, stock imagery isn’t our favorite. (Go ahead and Google ‘stock imagery’ if you don’t know what we’re talking about.)
Investing in professional photography helps elevate your brand by giving it that essential personal touch. High quality imagery is crisp, professional, and 100% unique to your brand. So, it’s important!
3. SEO: Search Engine Optimization.
Is your site SEO savvy? When designing a new or existing website, we always recommend speaking with an SEO specialist (ahem, we have one in-house) about optimizing your content for search engines like the #1 Google. The stronger your SEO, the higher your website will rank, and that means you’ll see more traffic and increased brand awareness for your business.
4. Company Information.
When designing and writing your web content, let your offering shine – but don’t forget to share key company information like your team members, mission, office location and contact information. Usually this information will appear on an About page. As for your contact information – display this on every page, such as in the header or footer of your website. That will insure the information will be easy to find for those warm leads that want to get in touch.
5. Call-to-Action’s… on every page.
Similarly, incorporate a call-to-action (or CTA for short), on every page of your site. Your CTA may be simply, “Contact Us Today” or “Download Your Free eBook Here” – but whatever it is that you want your audience to do when browsing your site, make it clear that there is an actionable step to take. We like to design these buttons in a color that compliments a site’s design and also pops off the screen. Strategically place those buttons so they are easy to find.
6. Social Media Buttons or Links.
Last but not least, link your website to your social media accounts! And if you don’t have a social media account, go create one in the next 60 seconds and make a note to link the two. It’s very common for a visitor to look for an Instagram or Facebook page, because it shows that the brand is current and connected with their online community. A website tells your story in one way, and social media is where your brand’s personality can shine through regular, consistent posting. So go ahead and add some social buttons to the header of your site – and, you can also link your accounts via text throughout your web copy.
We could go on and on with more digital boxes to check off, but for now, make sure your site is mobile friendly, SEO optimized, connected to social, and includes key information, CTA’s and quality imagery. From there comes the fun part – those unique toppings that make your recipe rise to the top. Let’s get cooking!
Darci Knowles
Owner & Creative Director
darcicreative.com
