As a business owner, you want your website to be as useful to potential customers as possible. The right features can give your business website a competitive advantage over the competition. These features include social proof, contact information, high-quality visuals, and easy-to-find CTAs. However, not all websites offer these features. (Also Read: 5 Ways to Obtain Funding for a New Business)
What is a good reason to use social proof on a website?
Social proof plays an important role in influencing consumers’ decisions. In the digital age, customers look for social proof before making any major purchase, and they use reviews and ratings to determine whether a brand or product is worthwhile. Studies show that up to 70% of online shoppers check product reviews before making a decision. Whether these reviews come from real customers or third-party sources, third-party “trust signals” can influence the purchasing decisions of many customers.
Social proof works by creating a “herd mentality” among consumers. This is a phenomenon whereby people follow the example of others and are more likely to follow their lead. People gravitate towards people they share similar interests or feelings with. A business website with a large number of positive reviews can help attract customers to purchase the product or service.
Other sources of social proof include celebrities or other well-known individuals who endorse a product. For example, makeup brand Glossier uses its founder Emily Weiss to endorse its products. By using these sources, the brand creates an emotional connection with the customer and builds trust. By leveraging social proof, a business website can dramatically increase its conversion rate. It can also improve the performance of a landing page and encourage blog readers to leave valid email addresses.
The types of social proof vary depending on the industry. A B2B company might feature a list of enterprise customers. A media company can show a list of subscriber lists, or a travel company can show the number of vacations booked. The idea is to showcase any impressive metric that can influence a prospective customer.
Other forms of social proof include using branded hashtags. Branded hashtags help spread the word about the brand and increase online sales. The “wisdom of the crowd” is social proof that proves a product or service is trustworthy. This, in turn, can snowball into a large amount of sales.
When used properly, social proof can be more effective than a press logo. It helps make a website feel genuine and real. It also works better because it’s more direct and less intimidating. However, it needs to be easily noticeable. Ideally, social proof should be near the top of the visual hierarchy. For instance, a movie landing page will have snippets of reviews.
Social proof works by creating a “herd mentality” among consumers. This is a phenomenon whereby people follow the example of others and are more likely to follow their lead. People gravitate towards people they share similar interests or feelings with. A business website with a large number of positive reviews can help attract customers to purchase the product or service.
Other sources of social proof include celebrities or other well-known individuals who endorse a product. For example, makeup brand Glossier uses its founder Emily Weiss to endorse its products. By using these sources, the brand creates an emotional connection with the customer and builds trust. By leveraging social proof, a business website can dramatically increase its conversion rate. It can also improve the performance of a landing page and encourage blog readers to leave valid email addresses.
The types of social proof vary depending on the industry. A B2B company might feature a list of enterprise customers. A media company can show a list of subscriber lists, or a travel company can show the number of vacations booked. The idea is to showcase any impressive metric that can influence a prospective customer.
Other forms of social proof include using branded hashtags. Branded hashtags help spread the word about the brand and increase online sales. The “wisdom of the crowd” is social proof that proves a product or service is trustworthy. This, in turn, can snowball into a large amount of sales.
When used properly, social proof can be more effective than a press logo. It helps make a website feel genuine and real. It also works better because it’s more direct and less intimidating. However, it needs to be easily noticeable. Ideally, social proof should be near the top of the visual hierarchy. For instance, a movie landing page will have snippets of reviews.
Why is contact information important on a business website?
It’s important to include contact information on every page of your business website. This information is essential for any business, no matter what kind of product or service you sell. On product pages, make sure to include an email address, phone number, and a link to your contact page.
Located in the footer of the website, contact information is easy to find by users who are browsing the site. It also gives you a chance to engage unhappy customers and convert them into brand advocates. The Contact page is easily accessible and can be found on the main navigation bar or in the footer.
Make sure to include all forms of contact information on your contact page, including active social media accounts. You can also use specific language on your contact page to help with SEO. If your website is geared toward international customers, be sure to include specific language in your contact page. Having multiple ways to contact a company makes it easier for your prospective customers to find your company in their own language.
If you choose to include a contact form, make sure that it is secure. It can prevent your website from being hacked by spammers by preventing them from accessing your email address. Spambots often scrape email addresses from websites and add them to their spam, phishing, and scam lists.
Located in the footer of the website, contact information is easy to find by users who are browsing the site. It also gives you a chance to engage unhappy customers and convert them into brand advocates. The Contact page is easily accessible and can be found on the main navigation bar or in the footer.
Make sure to include all forms of contact information on your contact page, including active social media accounts. You can also use specific language on your contact page to help with SEO. If your website is geared toward international customers, be sure to include specific language in your contact page. Having multiple ways to contact a company makes it easier for your prospective customers to find your company in their own language.
If you choose to include a contact form, make sure that it is secure. It can prevent your website from being hacked by spammers by preventing them from accessing your email address. Spambots often scrape email addresses from websites and add them to their spam, phishing, and scam lists.
What about High-quality visuals?
A business website can improve conversion rates by displaying high-quality visuals. Moreover, such visuals improve search engine optimization. Moreover, they also help minimize bounce rates and improve website traffic. This makes high-quality visuals an essential feature of any business website. Here are some reasons why high-quality visuals are important for your website:
High-quality visuals get indexed by search engines better than plain text. They also increase engagement among customers and facilitate the purchase decision-making process. Following pre-defined SEO practices and guides can help you optimize your visual content for search engines. In fact, human brains process images 60000 times faster than text, so it makes sense to use the power of images to boost your website’s SEO rankings.
Visual content is particularly effective on eCommerce websites. It helps businesses create brand awareness and increase visibility in the digital world. Because humans respond better to images than text, it is imperative for eCommerce brands to use impactful visuals to bridge the gap between their products and customers. Statistics show that 59% of customers find visual content to be more important than text, and this is a key benefit for online retailers.
High-quality visuals get indexed by search engines better than plain text. They also increase engagement among customers and facilitate the purchase decision-making process. Following pre-defined SEO practices and guides can help you optimize your visual content for search engines. In fact, human brains process images 60000 times faster than text, so it makes sense to use the power of images to boost your website’s SEO rankings.
Visual content is particularly effective on eCommerce websites. It helps businesses create brand awareness and increase visibility in the digital world. Because humans respond better to images than text, it is imperative for eCommerce brands to use impactful visuals to bridge the gap between their products and customers. Statistics show that 59% of customers find visual content to be more important than text, and this is a key benefit for online retailers.
Why are CTAs important for websites?
Placing easy-to-find CTAs on your business website can help you generate more leads and sales. For example, they will encourage visitors to stay on your site and engage with your brand more. Additionally, by incorporating links to social media sites, visitors will be more likely to follow you, thereby building your presence on these networks.
Pop-ups are another effective way to create easy-to-find CTAs on your business website. Often, popups will ask for an email address or direct visitors to another page. This way, visitors can get started and get more information without putting any effort into finding the CTA.
When you use call-to-action buttons and links on your business website, be sure to make them as compelling as possible. Using verbs such as “click here” or “buy now” will help your visitors make the right decision. In addition, call-to-action buttons should be short and easy to find.
The length of your CTAs also depends on your target audience. A CTA that has over 15 words may lose prospects’ interest, so experiment with the length and wording to find the right length for your audience. Remember that CTAs should be tailored to each stage of the buyer’s journey.
A good example of an easy-to-find CTA is Shopify’s offer of a free trial. Shopify uses an effective narration and pictures next to the desired action. It also provides details about the desired action below the CTA. While this may be too simple for a well-known brand like Shopify, simple details can be enough for CTAs on e-commerce sites.
Adding CTAs to your business website can make it easier for potential customers to join your email list. You can also add CTAs on your blog, landing page, or sidebar to build awareness, encourage sign-ups, or gather contact information for marketing purposes. Adding them to your business website is also a good way to increase website traffic.
The use of call-to-actions on a business website can boost sales and improve engagement. A CTA can be displayed as a button or a text link. You can also add one to social media sites such as Facebook. Once a visitor clicks on the button, they will be directed to the relevant page on your website. The goal is to get them to act and buy.
Pop-ups are another effective way to create easy-to-find CTAs on your business website. Often, popups will ask for an email address or direct visitors to another page. This way, visitors can get started and get more information without putting any effort into finding the CTA.
When you use call-to-action buttons and links on your business website, be sure to make them as compelling as possible. Using verbs such as “click here” or “buy now” will help your visitors make the right decision. In addition, call-to-action buttons should be short and easy to find.
The length of your CTAs also depends on your target audience. A CTA that has over 15 words may lose prospects’ interest, so experiment with the length and wording to find the right length for your audience. Remember that CTAs should be tailored to each stage of the buyer’s journey.
A good example of an easy-to-find CTA is Shopify’s offer of a free trial. Shopify uses an effective narration and pictures next to the desired action. It also provides details about the desired action below the CTA. While this may be too simple for a well-known brand like Shopify, simple details can be enough for CTAs on e-commerce sites.
Adding CTAs to your business website can make it easier for potential customers to join your email list. You can also add CTAs on your blog, landing page, or sidebar to build awareness, encourage sign-ups, or gather contact information for marketing purposes. Adding them to your business website is also a good way to increase website traffic.
The use of call-to-actions on a business website can boost sales and improve engagement. A CTA can be displayed as a button or a text link. You can also add one to social media sites such as Facebook. Once a visitor clicks on the button, they will be directed to the relevant page on your website. The goal is to get them to act and buy.
What about responsiveness?
A business website must be responsive with well-organized color combinations. Also, a business website must allow its users to navigate smoothly from one page to another. (Also Read: How do you do debt collection without losing customers?)
