How To Simplify Website Success Without Rebuilding The Whole Site

[An Article & Action Guide on Simplify Website Success]

I’m going to keep this short and sharp. All businesses want better results from their website. If you need some no cost ideas for simplifying and improving your results without rebuilding the whole site, start with this checklist. If you need help implementing these ideas, its what we do for our clients. Happy to discuss what we can do for you. IN THE MEANTIME, here’s what you can do on your own.

It’s astounding how many companies have used a set and forget mentality to their website. The unfortunate result? Potential buyers landing on their pages, only to find outdated designs, broken links and old content that leave a poor impression. Even a website that hasn’t seen a refresh in as little as one year can begin to show its age, signalling to visitors that perhaps the business itself isn’t up to par. But there’s a few remedies to this predicament.

If a business truly seeks to gain new customers through its website, it must provide an unforgettable experience for “right” visitors.-The Dance Monkey Team

If a prospect navigates to your homepage, and doesn’t immediately get the sense they are in the right place, they are gone. That’s the power of a welcoming homepage experience, and it’s the first in a series of small changes we recommend. 

ACTION: What’s the first thing you see on your website? Is it inviting to your target audience? If not, that’s the first thing you need to change. It can be an image, a product, a person or a bold recognisable statement. Whatever it takes to show your right audience they are in the right place, that’s what goes at the top of the homepage. 

Simplifying the user journey with a design that’s more minimalist is a good start but it’s not the solution to your website challenges.-The Dance Monkey Team

Most times you’ll also need to rework your content to be smarter and more personalised to keep your target audience engaged. You don’t have to be a great writer, you need to know your business and your audience well enough to write to them and about them on your website. Content needs to be great before you apply tools like SEO, otherwise you have crap content with keywords that still repel your visitors. 

ACTION: Adapt your business acumen and customer behaviour knowledge to your website content. What do you really do differently? Delivery, after sales service? Let them know. What do you know about customers in the buying process? After they buy? How do they interact with your marketing? All of these things are clues as to how to make your website content work better. 

When it comes to your copy, remember, less is more. Cut through the noise with concise, brilliant copy that resonates with your audience. But it’s not just about your business; it’s about the stories your customers experience. Weaving past and current customer reviews, successes and stories into the fabric of your website is a compelling technique that elevates engagement. 

ACTION: Not sure why asking for reviews, testimonials and creating case studies is difficult for many businesses, but it is a missing element in creating engagement. Plus, it’s a great reason to reconnect with customers to see how they are going, what they need now and how you can better serve them. 

Inject a dash of personality into your online presence – when you look at your site, besides the colours, do you see a business you’d want to do business with? Every business has a distinctive persona that creates a connection that resonates with potential buyers. – The Dance Monkey Team

ACTION: This is still a function of content, tone of content, simplicity and conciseness of content. Is your content about you interesting? Those can all help depict your business personality, but it can also be the images associated with your content. Do your images reinforce or enhance your content? Are you using bad stock images with people laughing or overly intent on their work? Do your images really represent your business and the customers’ outcomes? Do you need statistics or graphs instead of stock photos? Do you have real images of your team members? These can all improve the customer’s experience.

How have you highlighted your specialisations and benefits? Leading with these entices your visitors to dive deeper into who you are and what you offer. And once they’re reading, ensure their journey through your site is a seamless one. Navigation is key, so map out their path with clear, well-placed markers.

ACTION: How far down the page are your specialisations? Where do I find out who you are? Do you have a lot of clever marketing and sales content blocking the visitors’ path to your products or services? The reverse is also true, do you talk so much about what you do and who you are that it sounds stiff or even arrogant? You need to strike a balance between the logical and emotional experience a visitor has.

Let’s talk about differentiation. It’s not just about standing out; it’s about not shying away from showing visitors what sets you apart. But here’s the golden rule: Make it enjoyable for your target audience. Breathe life into your website, infusing it with elements that keep visitors coming back for more. That’s the secret sauce to make your site work for both you and your target audience.

ACTION: It’s not uncommon to see businesses dilute their content about what they offer and what they do on their websites. They think someone will steal their ideas. In doing so, you rob your site visitors of a great experience that lets them decide to buy from you or connect with you. You can always tell visitors better WHAT you do, you don’t need to tell them all of the HOW. Hows are usually your business magic, but better descriptions are a must. We recommend reading others’ descriptions if there are competitive products and deciding what works and what doesn’t. Then get your customer in mind and craft better insights for them. 

Last thing, Better mobile experience – Everything I just described in this article will make a mobile or tablet visitor experience of your website better. When mobile view gives visitors a good experience, you know it will work well on larger screens as well. By making your mobile view a priority, you will scrutinise your website more thoroughly and remove things that get in the visitor’s way of making a good decision to purchase or connect with you.  

ACTION: The actions are simple. 1. Make sure your site is set up to be responsive. 2. Make sure your content, images and design offer mobile users a good experience. You’ll need some help from whoever manages your website for the first one. The second one a company needs to look into themselves to make sure it is a true representation of the business.

In conclusion, consider this article your ultimate checklist for an impactful website transformation. Embrace these changes to capture the hearts of your potential customers. If you’re thirsty for more wisdom on reworking your website, you can download our ebook “Permission To Grow” here.