Top Five Must-Haves for Creating a Dynamic Website
Yelena Wells
MTNA Business Digest, Volume 1, Issue 3
April 2022
OK, you have 7 seconds. That’s right! Research shows that we have only seven seconds to grab someone’s attention and make a good first impression. Don’t miss out: learn the Top Five Must-Haves for creating a dynamic website, increasing traffic and getting found online.
It is no news that our attention spans have decreased significantly over the past few years. With the entire world going online, exponentially increased digital content, and multi-device usage, all amplified by pandemic fatigue; having a website that performs is now more crucial than ever. Here are five elements that will help your website succeed!
1. Visual Appeal
Website aesthetics evolve over time, maintaining a modern edge means keeping up with the current design trends. A clean, clear, user-friendly, and mobile-first approach with stylistic color pallets and font choices combined with infographics and authentic images are sure to appeal to your visitors. Modern websites contain features that promote engagement through on-page animation and interaction. Texture and personality balanced by frictionless navigational flow invite and engage users to stay interested.
2. Quality Content
It seems silly to mention the obvious but unfortunately, the obvious is most often overlooked. Does your website have all the pertinent information visitors would look for and expect from a professional website?
- Is there a way for visitors to contact you?
- Do you list your services, explain what you offer, describe your specialization?
- Is there an “About you” page?
- How about testimonials with enthusiastic praise for your work?
- Where are you located?
Spell out what you do, who you serve, and how to reach out. Making relevant information easily accessible is key.
3. Search Engine Optimization
Understanding how Google reads websites and how search engines work can help guide you in organizing your website’s structure and content. Mechanics and software play a big role in your website’s efficacy. Have you submitted your website to Google, created a sitemap, had Google crawl your website pages? Are your pages titled appropriately with descriptions, content, and images for support? Although many DYI website platforms (Godaddy, Squarespace, Wix) work well in helping you build a digital website brochure, getting your website found online and attracting traffic will require a bit more research or help from a professional.
4. Social Media
Social media can be the biggest driver for website traffic. If you are posting on one platform—with so many cost-effective automation tools available—there is no reason to miss out on all the others. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest all bring valuable opportunities for visibility, growth, engagement, and search engine optimization. An active blog can help your website rank for keywords, provide content for social media, and facilitate additional referrals to your website. For local searches, Google My Business is your website’s most visible asset. This important platform can also be automated for an active and up-to-date presence.
5. Know your audience
Who is your ideal client? Who do you enjoy working with the most? This is your target audience. Get to know this demographic well. Show them your value. Speak their language, cater to their style, show them what they want to see, answer their questions before they ask, expand on their joy, get them excited about working with you. After all, your website is really for them.
Yelena Wells is a Marketing Strategist at Elite One Media. She holds Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees in Piano Performance and serves as the Marketing and Communications Chair for Michigan MTA.