The goal of just about every online store owner would be to ensure that their products are known well enough to make a profit no matter the scenario. While it might have included the use of a physical establishment to ensure that the locals have an easy means of purchasing what they need, the year 2020 has brought about unexpected challenges that have changed the way store owners conduct their business. Instead of dividing the focus from the physical and online establishment, all of the focus is currently on the latter with website design services being priority number one for just about any business owner today.
It can be a harrowing change for those who have made most of their revenue from physical establishments, but it presents a unique opportunity for those who are yet to be tried and tested in the online marketplace. While the business landscape is just as competitive as ever before, there has been a monumental shift to the online space due to the pandemic. More and more shoppers are making use of online services, which creates an excellent opportunity to achieve blowout success as a business owner.
That said, there are quite a few things to consider when it comes to creating a website. For example, would it be better to target shoppers on a national level, or make use of local specialties to attract shoppers from the same city? Is it more important to focus on an easy-to-navigate interface, or is a focus on creativity effective enough to attract a significant number of visitors? Here are just a few ways to help the seller design a website that will help them achieve their business goals, alongside the help of website design services.
How to overcome the ten-second rule of most online shoppers
While website design is undoubtedly crucial to keep online visitors from being frustrated when navigating the site, the very first order of business would be to convince them not to click away when they first enter. Due to the substantial number of online stores, a shopper can visit at any given time, most people only allow several seconds to figure out whether or not a website is worth exploring.
Those who might decide to be more creative than is necessary for their homepage might find that not as many shoppers appreciate the effort, instead opting to visit another store that gets to the point. It can be somewhat harsh, but the idea is to attract visitors within the first ten seconds. A good idea would be to focus on a header that will not only sufficiently explain the point of the website, but provide all the information a shopper might need to figure out whether or not it is worth navigating.
Fortunately, the use of search engine optimization (SEO) provides tips for those who want to achieve their goals with the help of keywords. Even if not everyone is looking for the products a seller has, a header with all the relevant keywords can keep the target audience from leaving.
Make sure the loading times are not too long
Another problem that comes with getting too carried away without the help of quality website design services is the fact that too many different widgets or site accessories can cause the loading times to slow down. It might seem like an easy fix, as all the seller would have to do is get rid of unnecessary clutter within a website and things would be better. However, even the use of high-quality images can cause a website to slow down to a crawl.
The trouble with loading times is that most online shoppers do not have the patience to deal with long loading. Many would prefer to look for another online shop than to have to deal with one that takes a long time to load. The trouble with quality images is that sometimes the resolution is quite high without the seller realizing it. The result is a bunch of images on a single page that is causing the site to slow down to the point of frustration for the shopper. Ensure that the images are compressed just enough that it does not look bad, with a file size low enough to appear practically instantly for those with average Internet speeds.
It can be amazing just how much of an impact it can make to design a site in such a way that everything pops up without causing anything else to slow down. It is not just about the extra widgets and accessories, it is also about ensuring that everything is balanced.
Making a site easy to navigate is a top priority of web design services
While it might seem like a straightforward matter, there are two things to worry about — the mobile and the browser platform. Both are handled differently enough that to make things easy to navigate for one will not necessarily translate to the other.
Fortunately, a bit of effort goes a long way, as taking the time to make sure that it is easy enough to navigate will have online shoppers appreciating the seller’s efforts. Even those stores that have exactly what a shopper needs are still in trouble if their website is a pain to get through. It might not seem like a big deal at first, but the percentage of those who click away due to navigation issues can be enough to remove a decent chink of potential profit.
Aside from the tips above, it would be a good idea for small businesses to focus on local search rankings by making use of products and content that is relevant to their chosen city. Focusing on local SEO is known as geo-targeting, and can be quite easy to handle even for the relatively inexperienced. With the help of web design services, not only will a business have an easy-to-navigate website, but a guarantee that there will be repeat visitors.