To keep your customers engaged and content up-to-date, it’s important to give your site a refresh every once in a while.

Website design can be re-imagined dozens of ways and it’s good for your business to check-in as a customer and navigate the site with new eyes regularly.
Need some tips on what to improve on your site? Read on for tips on how to improve your user interface, web design, general accessibility, and more.

1. Social Sharing and Follow Buttons

If your site doesn’t have social sharing buttons, it’s time to put them in. Users are more likely to interact with your site if they have a button prompting them to share to Twitter, Linkedin, or Pinterest. As an added bonus to visitor engagement, social sharing will expand your site’s reach.

More than 70% of the United States population has at least one social media account. So chances are if users enjoy your site’s content, they will be eager to share it on the internet.

Why not make it easier for them?

Place buttons on blog posts, services lists, or graphics that would look good when shared on a platform like Pinterest or Linkedin.

Separately, be sure each page on your site has social buttons with links to your company’s pages for new followers and further engagement.

2. Your Site’s Mobile Friendliness

Half of all web browsing is done on mobile. With such a high percentage of your users navigating your site on handheld devices, be sure to audit your site’s performance on phones and tablets.

There are tools and quick fixes to make your site design is optimized for mobile. If it’s not properly augmented, the site can look wonky or weird with spacing, headers, and photo sizes.

Check out our blog post for the top three issues marketing experts notice on mobile sites.

3. Your Logo Placement

Logos that are too small, too hard to understand, or placed in off places lead to a confused customer. Give new customers a better impression by having your well-designed, on-brand logo right in the header.

Having the logo in the header will ensure that with each page navigation, your customers will be reminded of your logo and brand.

4. Stock Photos

Stock photos are a wonderful option, but be sure to pick carefully. Too many stock photos can make your business seem less authentic.
If you can, have a photographer take high-quality photos of your office, operations, and team to use throughout the site to bring a personal touch.

Bonus Tip: Be sure to compress all photos so they don’t slow the site down!

5. 404 Error Pages

Have you ever been excited to learn something new online, only to get a 404 Error Page? These are a hinder to positive CX. If your site doesn’t have a ton of content, you can review these yourself by navigating throughout the site as a customer would and simply repairing the links.

When a customer does navigate to a 404 page, make sure the design intentionally matches the rest of your site. Nothing is worse than a beautifully designed site with a totally off-brand error page.

6. Inconsistent Branding

Your site will look instantly better with consistent branding across all its pages. Use graphic design tools and a style guide to make sure everyone who builds pages uses the same colors and fonts.

It may seem simple, but it’s an instant turn off if the site looks inconsistent and messy.

7. Design with SEO in Mind

Structuring content for search engine optimization is what puts your site at the top of the search list when potential customers search for “best office supplies store in Austin” or “CBD for dogs”.

Designing your site so Google can easily read and refer customers is the best way to ensure new customers have a memorable CX and your brand gets new business. Check out Google’s list of 200 ranking factors to learn a bit more about how your site can change to accommodate new traffic.

An easy way to start strong with SEO is to integrate keywords into your site. A blog is a great way to drive new traffic to your site and engage consumers in relevant topics. Do some research and scatter keywords in the post so you’ll rank highly with your friends at Google.

Designing your site so Google can easily read and refer customers is the best way to ensure new customers have a memorable CX and your brand gets new business.

8. Lackluster Call to Actions

Do you need email addresses for your newsletter? Offer a discount to subscribers and advertise it on a popup when people first land on your site.

There are tons of ways to implement a successful call to action on your site. For more, check out these examples and the sites benefiting from them.

9. Website Design Faux Pas: Clunky Navigation

Without proper planning and implementation, it’s possible that your visitors will be confused by the layout of your navigation bar. Not only does this dissuade customers, but it also feeds into your site’s negative SEO and hurts the UI, or user interface.

Try not to use jargon or complicated language that customers might not know about your industry.

Simplify your bar to a few options with concise dropdowns. This encourages users to get exactly where they need without frustration.  

10. And Finally, Your Contact Page

Is your contact page easy to find? Does it list more than just a “contact me” box? Customers like to know that they can easily talk to a human being if they need help.

List emails and phone numbers to make it clean and simple.

Bonus tip: Is your team visible? Users may find it easier to connect with your company’s mission if they can picture your faces. Detailed team pages with fun facts, Linkedin buttons, and pictures are sure to increase your web traffic.

Get Down to Business

Now that you know where your site could use some help, establish a team to tackle your website design. We’re tech experts who focus on driving new traffic to your site.

Drop us a line to see how we can maximize your site’s potential and view our informative blog for more tips on how to run a successful website. Let’s get started!

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