A high-quality digital presence is one of the best ways to promote your company to diverse audiences. When a potential customer visits your website, they expect it to be clear, concise, and user-friendly. A well-structured website is just that. By contrast, a poorly structured site is often confusing for visitors and difficult for search engines to recognize. Both of these things can negatively affect your bottom line. Here are some basic website structure best practices to help your company shine online.
1. Prioritize User Experience
The best websites deliver positive user experiences. They make it easy for visitors to quickly learn who you are, what you do, and if you’re worth their time. If your website is confusing, users will likely become frustrated and leave without taking a desired action (such as making a purchase or scheduling a meeting).
Think of your website as a digital storefront. It’s constantly on display for both new and returning visitors, so what it communicates is critical to your success. Before considering website design and development, first put yourself in a new user's shoes. What would you like their experience to be?
Decide which information you want users to see on each webpage. Do you want to focus on your products, services, or past projects? Or, would you rather be an informative resource for your community? Once you've determined the purpose of your website, you'll have a better idea of which kind of content to include.
Remember that you have a limited window of time to capture a new visitor’s attention. Ideally, your website loads within three seconds, regardless of device, and clearly communicates its purpose at a glance. This means your logo is identifiable, your navigation menu is clean, and your company’s solutions are front and center. Keep it simple, but show your brand’s story through the creative use of words, colors, JPEG images, and short MP4 videos.
It’s absolutely critical that your navigation bar is simple and straightforward. Visitors should easily be able to tell where they are on your site and how to find the details they seek. Use descriptive headings for each page, and consider drop-down menus if you have more than a few pages on your site. This will nurture new visitors and give returning users a reason to poke around for more information.
2. Encourage Users to Act
Your website's structure can affect conversion rates. This is the percentage of visitors who take a desired action on a webpage, such as entering an email address. If your website is complicated and clunky, then users may have difficulty finding the information they need or knowing how to take an action in the first place.
We always include plenty of calls-to-action throughout our clients’ websites. These usually take the form of deliberately placed “Shop Now” or “Learn More” buttons. Calls-to-action are especially important for mobile optimization, and users should never have to search to find them. Place them on every page and ideally within sections that feature projects, products, or services.
3. Publish Regular Updates
Not only are great websites easy to understand and navigate, but they also feature the most current information available. This means products and services are up to date, contact information is correct, and featured resources provide value. Regular website updates are also a cornerstone of any good SEO strategy, as search engines tend to elevate websites that are active and relevant.
Appoint someone on your team to manage your website over time. As your business grows and develops, so too should your digital storefront. Ensure that it always reflects your company’s vision, culture, and valuable solutions. Remember to make changes if you move locations, add employees, or offer new career opportunities. Also, consider adding a blog page to publish monthly (or weekly) posts with insightful tips and useful resources for visitors.
4. Optimize for Mobile and Search Engines
This is where things can get a bit technical. Always keep in mind that most website traffic now comes from mobile devices and search engines. If you want new visitors to easily find you online, then your website structure must reflect these facts.
We’ve written about mobile optimization before, but here’s a brief overview. Your website’s mobile version should display the same key details as its desktop version. However, avoid the urge to add excessive elements, features, and pop-ups. These tend to slow page load speeds and negatively affect users’ experiences. Keep designs simple, use colors sparingly, and remember to include plenty of calls-to-action throughout each page.
Your website structure also affects SEO. Again, we’ve covered this topic extensively in the past, so we won’t belabor the point here. Just know that applying a few SEO best practices such as keyword research and an intuitive structure will give your website a competitive edge. For instance, we always recommend featuring a homepage, contact page, and individual service pages. Each of these should be associated with an impactful keyword which search engine users will find relevant.
Website Structure Matters
When it comes to digital marketing, websites still reign supreme. The best ones are fast, dependable, and effective tools for attracting attention, supplying information, and converting visitors to loyal customers. User experiences often hinge on a website's structure, so it’s important to make sure yours is easy for visitors to use and search engines to find—both of which will help you achieve your goals. If your website could use a tune-up or you’re simply ready to get started, then please don’t hesitate to reach out today.
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