Everyone has a dream and something valuable to say. Not all of us succeed at it though. The difference ultimately comes down to how we present ourselves and our information, be it through a website or blog. So, if you are pursuing a dream or a business, then read on.
Before we begin, remember to research your target audience: it can be tempting when starting out to try and make your site appeal to as many people as possible, but you can’t please everyone and a tight focus on your target market is a better use of time than trying to appeal to anyone who stumbles onto your site.
Read on for the definitive list of important things to consider when building your new website!
1: Quality Content
Content is king! Everyone knows that, but it’s worth mentioning just how important it is.
If members of your target market enjoys your content, they’ll forgive a lot of other mistakes. Be clear and concise, use simple language, and short descriptions, and include inbound links to your website. Use relevant images of appropriate sizes. Also, make sure you always update the content you have created.
2: Mobile Optimized
Optimizing your website for mobile generally means implementing a responsive design. More than 90% (statista.com/topics/779/mobile-internet/#dossierKeyfigures) of internet users use a mobile device to use the internet. “Responsive” websites display properly on any device and there’s no need to download or install additional apps or plugins – a must for any modern project.
You should also use keywords in the titles and meta descriptions of each main argument in the content, and implement a recap section to help people find and skim the content more easily. Furthermore, if you’re writing a listicle, its structure is typically organized as an inverted pyramid, so information presented at the beginning is more significant than at the end.
3: Pages that Load Quickly
While some people might be impatient or motivated by a strong desire to get to the content on your site as quickly as possible, it`s important to test your site as best you can. And yes, even users in Timbuktu like your website to load fast!
Make sure you keep videos and high-resolution images to a minimum. Remember, your content doesn’t matter if it doesn’t load quickly!
4: Easy to Scan
People barely read anymore which makes clear formatting more important than ever before.
Remember the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid. Users usually skim through the content of a website. Everything you write should be focused on creating value, not distracting the user with unimportant information. Use lists and headings to organize your content in a clear way. When writing, think about how the information will be read instead of how it is written on paper.
5: Calls to Action
If you want something, you have to ask. Get your call-to-action in the top three lines of your page. Ask people to do something specific. Use action words, such as “Watch” and “Discover.” Your site design should ensure visitors are comfortable and have a clear direction when engaging with your content. A call to action makes sure they will naturally explore without feeling like they are being pushed.
In summary, building a new website can be a daunting experience – there are many things to consider across a range of different concerns: web design, content creation, branding, etc. The difficult part is knowing which are most important, but this list serves as a set of good guiding principles to work into whatever you create. To reiterate:
• High-quality content
• Pages that are optimized for mobile devices
• Pages that load quickly
• Design that enables visitors in a rush to scan your site
Good luck building your new website.