When we want information on a product or service, we almost always start by researching an organization’s website. Your website is a reflection of your business, available for the entire world to view, potentially by thousands. Does it accurately and clearly reflect your brand identity, culture and the services you provide?

Here are a few things to consider when evaluating the effectiveness and authenticity of your site:

USER EXPERIENCE

The experience a prospect or client has navigating your website can be the difference between building a relationship or that contact searching elsewhere. Business offerings and information on who you are should be easily accessible and not buried under multiple levels of navigation or excessive amounts of copy. If your organization works strongly in one particular vertical, that should be apparent, linking to relevant work, case studies and visuals.

It has been said that ninety-three percent of all human communication is visual. The images used within your site have significant impact on brand identity as do logos, photographs of your building, and team headshots.

A beautiful design is important but telling your audience what it is that you do is critical. Correctly utilized, visuals assist in reader comprehension, by breaking copy and content into more digestible sections.

Keep in mind when choosing visuals that the website is an electronic sales tool that serves a specific purpose- to attract and inform visitors and help them take the next step in engaging with your brand.

WORDS MATTER, TOO

The tone of your website should speak to potential customers so understanding the personas of ideal clients is important. Studying the buying journeys of current and past clients enables you to tailor your website with relevant and engaging content that draws in your idea audience.

IS YOUR WEBSITE REALLY YOU?

A good exercise to help determine your organization’s voice is to list all the adjectives you would use to describe your business, especially those that are unique to your brand. Would your ideal client relate to these keywords? Tone also indicates company culture and philosophy; it illustrates how approachable you are, how interested you are in answering questions and providing solutions to a prospect or client’s needs and requests.

If you have questions about the usability or effectiveness of your website, feel free to reach out, we’d love to help!