Website best practice

WEBSITE BEST

PRACTICE A business’s online presence can have a huge impact on its commercial success, particularly as online shopping becomes more and more popular with consumers. With this in mind, we’re sharing with you some examples of best practice to help you make the most of your website!

1

You only have one chance to make a first impression!

It is likely that the first impression potential customers get of your business is through your website, and it only takes a split second for them to form an opinion. To make sure that they get a positive view of your business, your website should look good.

To start, think about other websites that you like and are easy to navigate – what can you learn from them? Typically, people will spend 15 seconds on your site before giving up, that’s how long you have to capture someone’s attention and generate interest.

While there are lots of free templates out there, getting your site properly designed is generally a worthwhile investment. If it is time to refresh your website, we recommend that you get three quotes to compare before you make a decision.

In terms of what makes good design, an impactful homepage can be achieved by using consistent fonts, colours and backgrounds. You should also avoid overcrowding your pages with text or having too many pages as this can make it difficult for users to find the information they are looking for.

2Use good quality images:

Using good quality images on your website draws people in and helps to break up the text into more manageable chunks for the reader. They also improve the overall appearance of the website; this is particularly important for framers and artists.

When using images, use the highest quality image you have but try to reduce the file size to avoid slow loading times. There are lots of free online image resizers available that allow you to upload your image and download a smaller version, and a quick Google search will return a list of options for you.

3Use it to showcase your work:

With many customers choosing to look online before venturing to the high street, it is beneficial to show a portfolio of your previous work and to update this regularly.

The idea behind this is to mimic the experience a customer would have in a physical shop, not only reassuring customers that your work is of a good quality, but also providing a source of inspiration for customers who are new to framing.

4Customer testimonials:

On your website, ensure that your business appears to be trustworthy and reputable. A great way to show that you are trustworthy is to post customer testimonials on your website, either alongside photos of associated work or as a ‘don’t take our word for it’ section.

If you already have customer testimonials this should be easy to do, otherwise start collecting!

5Add links to social media:

Add links to your social media accounts in the header or footer of your website. This will allow customers to follow you and keep up with your work, increasing the reach of your business. Social media accounts also provide a larger portfolio to direct potential customers to - many people update their social profile more often than their website.

6

Clearly state how to get in touch:

One of the major reasons people may be visiting your website is to find out how to contact you, so make it easy for them! List your address, contact telephone number and email address, and make your telephone number clickable on mobile for an easier user experience!

We would also recommend using an online form for enquiries, allowing customers to easily get in touch about potential framing projects. Many people find the idea of calling or visiting shops intimidating, so by using an online form you are likely to receive a greater number of enquiries and hopefully generate more sales as a result. But make sure you are geared up to respond quickly.

7SEO and keywords:

SEO keywords are single words or short phrases that represent the search queries that people use to find your website. There are free online tools available to check what search terms people are using for your industry. For example, Google has a free keyword planner that can help you to find keywords that are most relevant for your business. Google Trends can also give you insights into how often people are searching for relevant words to your industry and how this fluctuates over time. Both tools are free to use, you’ll just need to setup a Google account if you don’t have one already.

When you select relevant keywords and use them to form the basis of your website content, you have a better chance of showing up in the search results. It also ensures that you are creating content that potential customers would be interested in seeing.

8

Make your website mobile friendly:

A large majority of consumers use their mobile devices to access the internet, so if your website isn’t mobile friendly it can immediately put off any potential customers. Common issues on mobile sites are slow loading images, overcrowding of pages and small text.

Have a look at your site on your mobile to check that everything appears as it should! If not, either make the changes yourself or speak to a website developer for help.