The New Year is often accompanied with a rekindled commitment to elevate all aspects of our daily lives. People strive for health makeovers, wardrobe makeovers, and even spiritual makeovers.
But what about a digial makeover?
We’re not talking about creating an AI-generated avatar for yourself. We are talking about auditing your business website and making sure it accurately reflects what your brand has become, or better yet, what you want to be known for in 2024 and beyond. Here are some tips to help you achieve the ultimate website makeover.
1. Assess the end-to-end user journey. When it comes to revamping your website, have a clear vision in mind. Think about your target customer’s end-to-end experience, starting with the second they type in your web address. Does your domain speak to your brand? A typical TLD might not hone in on your “why,” so consider an alternative TLD (such as .co, .health, .gay, .biz) to fortify your branding efforts. For example, if you’re an innovative startup, a tech-savvy TLD like .co might be the brand refresh you need.
Next, assess the overarching user experience. Is your website guiding them through a seamless journey from page to page? Or do they run into informational dead ends or technical glitches? Make it your mission to rebuild your site so that it clearly communicates your brand but also offers a top-notch user experience.
2. Keep the homepage clean and simple. Is your current first page cluttered with info overload and too many product images? According to numerous studies, it takes about 50 milliseconds (or 0.05 seconds) for visitors to determine whether they want to stay or leave your website. The homepage serves as your digital first impression. It should look clean and professional, with an aesthetic that makes sense. If you are operating a business in the arts & design category–like a fashion retailer, gallery, or interior design firm–strive for an exceptionally beautiful opening page.
For any business owner, your homepage should display your logo, a tagline that shares a bit about your business, and what makes you special. It lists the most important information and something memorable or compelling that will entice them to continue exploring your business website.
3. Make your message clear throughout. Once you’ve revamped your homepage, review all the content and collateral across your website and make sure everything centers around your brand and mission. Does any copy conflict with or not align with your brand identity? Proofread your About Us page, review your blog archives, and product descriptions. Be sure to remove any messaging or images that don’t support your marketing goals or the evolution of your brand.
For example, if you have traditionally marketed to only men, consider editing your content to capture an inclusive tone, and make sure images on your site reflect a diverse audience. Some businesses that cater to the LGBTQIA+ are opting for the .gay website to let visitors instantly know their establishment is about empowering and including all sexual orientations and gender identities. From the URL down to the fine print, make sure your content aligns with inclusiveness.
4. An SEO refresh: Think about the words that your potential customers are typing into search engines. Are these keywords evenly laid out across your site? Make sure your URLs, homepage, and product pages are updated for search engine optimization, so that your website ranks in Google results and other search engines.
For example, let’s say you're a nutritionist and chef looking to get new clients, then make sure your website contains keywords like “nutritionist, personal chef, private chef, meal prepping, fresh meals, diet, and health.” It would also be useful to consider a .health TLD to better match your target customer’s search terms.
5. Use calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage engagement. While you want to invest a lot of brainpower into the homepage, this attentiveness to the customer experience should continue throughout the website. Keep them clicking so they want to learn more about you, your team, how they can contact you, and, of course, your products or services. To do this, have at least one CTA on every page of your website. Think of where you want your target customer’s eyeballs to go; strategically add buttons and text with links that read “learn more,” “explore our offerings,” “special deals” and, of course, “buy now.”
6. Convert your visitor into a loyal customer. The journey should eventually take them to a seamless checkout page where they can book or buy your service or product. Think could be a contact page to book, submit an enquiry, or purchase page. Make sure every page on your site steers them toward this end point, and that the checkout experience is easy, accepts all payments and is glitch-free.
With the New Year, make your website a top priority for 2024. In today’s digital age, the e-commerce space is flooded with distractions and competitors, so be sure to build a site that is easy to find and offers a seamless experience. An important way to shine is to make it a habit to digitally connect with your customer through your business website. Daily or weekly blogging that humanizes your brand, or regularly publishing social media posts that link back to your website, are powerful ways to engage your audience year-round.