Building a good website is the first step to creating a business, so make sure you do it right. / Provided
Without some legitimate online presence, it’s hard to have a legitimate business. Business owners looking to stand out from the competition can’t simply have a website — they need to make a site that’s attractive, functional and able to attract potential clients.For a lot of people, the idea of creating a website can be daunting because they have no coding or design experience. However, with the growth of do-it-yourself websites creation services, creating your own site has never been easier. The time to take the leap has come.
Metro talked with David Chen, the CEO of Strikingly, a new online service that allows users to create websites in just a few minutes, without paying a professional designer. Chen shared great tips on how to get ready to launch online.
1. Think mobile
Mary Meeker, the head of Morgan Stanley’s global technology research team, predicts in her annual Internet Trends report that more users will connect to the Internet on their smartphones and tablets than desktops within the next few years. So make sure that your website is not only accessible on mobile devices, but that it also offers a completely different and beautiful experience.
2. Cut the blah-blah
Chen encourages users to reduce the content of their homepage to the “absolute minimum.” A screen filled with text might indeed make a website look full but it’s not easy on the eyes and often adds to clutter and confusion, as well as bounce rates. “If you can’t capture people’s attention in the first 10 seconds, you lose them,” Chen said. Just have a few key points that get the message across, and pair them up with multimedia content. Big, colorful images can do a lot to draw the eye. For example, if you’re a restaurant, only feature one or two signatures dishes on your homepage, not the entire menu.
3. Go straight to the point!
Streamline the process to get users to do what you need them to do in one or two clicks maximum. For example, if you’re a freelance private chef, make sure people can find your contact information with a single click. Keep it simple and fast!
4. Inspire people
“You should always tell a story,” Chen explains. According to him, people care about why you’re doing what you’re doing and they like to understand your mission and your goals. Say you’re a Thai restaurant: Don’t just advertise the quality of your food or competitive price. Instead, explain that by coming to your restaurant, customers can enjoy an authentic experience and discover a culture. That promises to have a bigger impact than just a great meal!
