Making Your Website More ‘Likable’

How can you make your website more effective, more responsive, and more ‘likable’?

Written by Kris DeBruine – Web Developer in Whatcom and Skagit Counties

There is nothing worse than going to a website and learning that nothing has been updated since 2010. When there is no activity on your website, it looks like you’re not in business. The World Wide Web is one of the primary places that people learn about products and services — and your competition. And you can be certain of this, if people have to choose between a business with a fresh, up-to-date website, or a stale and out-of-date website, they will choose the updated website and business any day!

When considering making your website more likable, you want to consider the following questions:

•  What experience do you want users to have when they visit your website?
•  Do you have something new and interesting to offer your visitors?
•  What do you want people to know, do, or purchase when they come to your website?

As you gain a clearer perspective of what you want your end result to be, you will be able to create a website that is congruent with those goals.  You will save yourself time and money by targeting your website and the voice of your content to the audience you wish to serve.

Three absolute necessities for your website include:

1. Video & Quality Images:  People are attracted to visual information.  They are looking to be educated and entertained as well as engaged.   Video is one way in which you can build credibility and trust with your viewers. People comment more on Facebook when there is a visual image versus just text.  You should have a welcome video on your homepage explaining why people should be spending some time on your site and give them a call to action which can include signing up for a newsletter, downloading a free sample or attending a webinar.   This is the information age after all and people want valuable content and if you deliver they will come in droves.
2. Opt-In:  The opt in box is your call to action . This is where they can share their name and e-mail and grab an incentive or irresistible offer to continue the relationship with you.  It is all about creating value and offering a solution.
3. Social  Media Integration: Your visitors need a way to share your great content. Make it easy for people to share your content with others by having links to Facebook, Twitter, Google plus, and even LinkedIn. Create a blogging platform where you can share posts of 250-400 words offering great tips or tools that others can use.

Not only will these strategies help drive traffic to your website they will also help you get known, remembered and seen as an authority in your area of expertise.

Thanks for reading and please share this blog post with others who might need to improve the likability of their website!