Mobile Responsive Design & Function
Not all websites are built the same. Older websites built just 5 years ago lack today’s sizing flexibility, some don’t have it at all. As the way people look at the internet has changed from desktops to smaller tablets and mobile phones the way websites are built has changed too. A website designed to fit any sized screen is called Responsive. Fluid. Retina Ready. Which means that Your site will always look sharp and utilize 100% of screen estate on every device.
Secure HTTPS
The “S” in https stands for SECURE. This means that the website has a Security Certificate on the hosting server which will encrypt all data between the site and the viewing user. What this does is make it virtually impossible for outside sources to see what the data means there for protecting the stream of information. This is particularly important when a website collects confidential information such as names, credit card numbers addresses, and passwords. This year Google has made it a priority for all website even those without ECOM to have this security level. Not having it does not impact the performance of your website but it will impact the way people view it. Browsers, not flag nonsecure websites as potentially UNSAFE and many people looking for information will ignore sites and not visit them at all.
Authentic Content
No matter what kind of business you have, how you represent it says everything. Think about who will be looking at your website and what do you want them to learn about your business. If you have twitter feeds from other peoples tweets it says nothing about you. If you have blog post shared from other bloggers it says nothing about you. If you have a canned paragraph for the about us page with your mission statement that is cliche, you have said nothing about your business. Your website is the greatest place to brag, bost and toot your own horn. Put all modesty aside and push your strategic edge, your advantageous location, your superior product, and exemplary customer service. Show your team with good quality photography and short, sweet and quality written bios of your staff.
Visually Appealing
I love this topic when talking to clients. I like to give the scenario of Landscaping as a metaphor. If you have a business in a nice business park or you have your own location where customers visit you. You are sure to make it a priority to keep the entrance inviting and appealing. If you never cut the grass, have trash on your entry sidewalk or broken glass for a front door then I don’t want you as a customer anyway. Businesses that take pride in their presentation will be the only ones that understand this section. You see, when someone wants to do business with you they use all their senses to evaluate you. You can be in a 500 dollar suit when your new customer meets with you but if they have to step over trash on the way into your business, they have already downgraded you. In fact, they may not even come in. Presentation is almost everything. It says so many things about your business. PRIDE, QUALITY, PRIORITIES, COMMITMENT and more. A poor website presentation is worse for business than no website at all.
We use the KISS strategy (Keep It Simple Silly)
- Clear Call To Action
- Simple and direct
- Legible fonts
- Smooth Flow of information
- Easy to navigate
- Quality images
- Authenticity
Accurate Google Listing
Last on this list but certainly not the least important item is your Google Listing. Google has changed platforms and the way it lists businesses. G+ is gone and Maps tied together with Reviews has become a more key feature of local search. It’s imperative that your business is set-up correctly here. It is essentially the Yellow Page listing of the old days. Google will continue to fine tune this and most likely start charging for this in the future but it will be worth it. It’s more important than your business Facebook page. It is comparable to having a sign over your door. Make sure your address and phone numbers are correct, your website URL is linked and if you have reviews, especially any poor ones, respond to them with an accurate and relevant response.
Pinwilz – Unifiweb is here to Help Your Business
Need to improve your online presence with a new website, fresh content or improve your Google listing? That’s what we are here for. We help businesses with their online presence. We cover all the bases and have over 20 years of experience with building websites, creating content like photography, video, and writing.