Standing out online is hard!
Having a website is one thing. Having a website that does a job and helps grow your business is another.
Your website should be building credibility for your company and converting visitors into customers. If it’s not, then you might have some work to do.
Luckily, there are some simple things you can do – right now – to set yourself apart from your competitors.
We’ve put together a top 10 list of website hacks you can do to make your website stand out so you can get more attention, impress your visitors, and grow your business!
Here we go!
1. Declutter your content.
You’ve been to those sites… with information EVERYWHERE. Every inch of the website is filled with images, text, and ads. When your site is so over-filled with information, your visitors don’t know where to look an many times just give up and leave.
Decluttering is easy. Simply decide on the most important thing you want your visitors to do and remove any content or images that don’t help your visitor find and take that action.
ACTION ITEM:
Review your website and make sure that the pages aren’t cluttered with too much information. Remove anything that isn’t directly useful for the visitor. Whitespace is a good thing. It will bring more focus to your important content.
2. Be consistent!
Your message is important, but if you aren’t consistent throughout your website with that message, your visitors will miss it.
New prospects want to know what you’re about because it builds trust and increases engagement. Take a minute to review your website pages and make sure that who you are, your brand identity, and your message is clear from page to page.
Action Item:
Is your brand identity obvious on every page of your site? Make sure your message and brand are clear and consistent.
BONUS: Get our full guide on “10 ways to fix your website and grow your business today,” complete with extra action items and bonus pro tips.
3. The wall of text.
Your content is important and although you want your visitors to know what you’re all about, if it looks like one big block of text… no one will read it.
You don’t have to get rid of all of it, but you can increase the odds that someone will read it by creating smaller, super short paragraphs. Edit out repetition, run-ons, and focus your content on what visitors need to know to take the next step.
Action Item:
Review your content areas and break apart blocks of text into smaller paragraphs. A one-sentence paragraph is okay!
4. Too many pictures.
Yes, you can have too many images. There’s a time and place for a series of images, like a gallery or portfolio.
If your informative pages have many pictures but no content, Google isn’t going to know how to help people find you.
Images should make sense and be relevant, but copy/text is what Google is looking for so make sure your headlines and text are clear.
Action Item:
Review each page of your website and make sure you have an appropriate amount of images; remove extras.
5. Call-to-action.
Every page on your website should be strategic. When a visitor lands on a page, you’ll want them to take action. But what if they don’t know what action to take?
Your call-to-action (CTA) can be a simple button directing them to “learn more” about a product or service, or maybe you want them to “get in touch” or “schedule a meeting” or “make a reservation.” CTA buttons should describe the action. “Click here” is too vague anymore.
Action Item:
Review each page of your website and make sure there is a specific call-to-action.
6. Give ‘em something!
Consider giving your visitors something just for checking you out. A freebie can give your visitors a reason to engage. They get something useful and you get an opportunity to collect an email address. Who doesn’t love something free?
A freebie can be a simple checklist, a free consult, a free sample, or even a discount coupon.
Action Item:
Do you have a freebie? If not, add one pronto. Make it simple, clear, and easy to get.
In this comprehensive guide, we show you how you can start doing this on your site!
7. Build trust.
The quickest way to gain credibility and respect is through the use of testimonials. You don’t have a ton of them, you just need one. Yup, one strategically placed testimonial can build credibility.
Be creative with the font and even color so that it stands out. No one will read an entire wall of testimonials – a couple is all it takes.
Action Item:
Add a few testimonials. If you don’t have any, then take a minute to reach out by email to a handful of customers. Ask them for a 2-sentence testimonial to make it quick and easy for them to reply.
8. Even more trust!
Having a client list or portfolio is a wonderful way to show credibility through who you work with and the work you’ve done. But what about on your home page? It’s likely the first place people come to learn about you. Send the right message!
Action Item:
Add a few client logos to your home page. You can start with a minimum of 4 logos.
9. What’s important?
If everything looks the same or if you’re trying too hard to create a “soft” look, your visitors might not see what’s important. Make sure that important things have prominence.
Give buttons a contrasting color. They don’t need to be neon or red, but they do need to stand out. Help your visitors know what to do and where to go.
Action Item:
Add contrasting color to your buttons, call-to-actions, and important links.
10. How do I contact you?
Having a contact page is great, but you can increase the likelihood that someone will contact you if you include contact information in the footer and strategically throughout your content or call-to-actions.
Phone numbers can go in a top pre-header area. In the footer include ALL contact information like phone, address, and email. Make it easy to find you and get in touch. If you rely on local customers, include a map to let people know where you are.
Action Item:
Take a minute to add contact information in a pre-header, header, and footer. Include email or phone numbers in strategic places throughout your website.
10 super easy things you can do to fix your website and grow your business starting today!
Most items on the list take less than 30 minutes to implement. If you do one a day for 10 days, you’ll have increased your visibility, credibility, and Wowability!
