Making a Great First Impression

Websites are critical for organizations because they serve as an online hub for all of an organization's information and activities. Not only do they provide a central location for all of your stakeholders to learn about the organization, but they are also one of your audience’s first in-depth impressions of who you are and what you can do for them.

Websites enable organizations to communicate with their audiences in a convenient and cost-effective way, and to maximize their brand awareness to a wider audience than possible through more traditional marketing channels. In today's digital age, having a website has gone beyond an essential; the quality and sophistication of a site define your organization's credibility. We all know that a beautiful and frequently updated website is indispensable for any organization to succeed.

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Improving your website can be a complex process, but there are the top 6 things you can focus on to make a significant impact:

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1) Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. 

With more and more people using their phones to access the internet, it's crucial that your website looks good and is easy to use on a small screen. Skipping this step can make your audience view your organization as old or lacking innovation before they even get to any actual content.

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2) Improve your website's speed. 

No one likes a slow-loading website, and search engines like Google may penalize you if your website is slow. Just like your website’s mobile site, having a slow-loading website puts a bad taste in your audience's mouth before any content can reach them. Several ways you can speed up your website include optimizing images, minifying CSS and JavaScript, and using a content delivery network (CDN).

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3) Make your website easy to navigate.

You must make sure that it is easy for visitors to find what they're looking for when they visit your site. A clear, logical navigation structure and search functionality can help visitors find what they need quickly and easily, and won’t frustrate users while they are looking for answers. In addition, when it comes to website content- less is more. Pages with heavy amounts of content can be confusing or overwhelming for web visitors- so when it comes to page navigation, the simpler, the better.

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4) Use compelling, high-quality content to engage visitors. 

Whether it's written content, images, or videos, ensure your offering is valuable and interesting to your target audience. There should be a clear purpose and intent to each and every piece of content that you publish on your website.

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5) Utilize Social Media

Using social media and other marketing channels to drive traffic to your website is a smart digital strategy. The more people who visit your website, the more opportunities you have to convert them to your desired end.

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6) Make it easy to take action.

Make it easy for visitors to take action. Whether you want them to make a purchase, sign up for a newsletter, or contact you for more information, make sure there are clear calls to action and that the process of taking action is as seamless as possible. You don’t want to bury the call to action inside other content. It is vital to ensure the steps you want your audience to take when visiting your site are as obvious and easy as possible.