Optimizing your website is both an art and a science.
It’s great to have a beautiful website design. But when people visit your website, are they clicking those buttons you want them to click? Are they inspired by your content and excited to take the next step with you? Learning the ins and outs of an effective website is a total game changer.
By marrying design with strategy, your website can be your most profitable asset for business growth. Below are my tried-and-true website tips, aimed at building trust and credibility with your dream clients, and sparking their excitement to work with you.
FLAUNT YOUR HIGH-FIVE MOMENTS
Showcasing your business achievements isn’t bragging; it’s about building trust.
Why do you scroll through reviews before making a purchase? Most of us want to establish trust before we make our decision. Showcasing your business achievements helps to shift potential customers from “are they legit?” to “wow, they have a lot going for them!”
If you’re revamping your website, don’t forget to flaunt the love for your business! These are your well-earned achievements. Here are some ideas:
Have you ever…
- been featured in a publication, social media, YouTube, or other media that you’re proud of?
- received a glowing review?
- earned a fancy certificate or business credentials in your field?
- collaborated with someone amazing (who would probably be honoured to be featured)?
Put ‘em up there! When working with a business, I find and highlight these success stories, making sure they’re front and center on the site.
SHOW YOURSELF, NOT STOCK IMAGES
People connect with people. Real business photos—of you and your team, your workspace, your process—do more than just fill space on your website. They build a connection, encouraging visitors to stick around, learn more, and ultimately, convert into clients.
Stock images are convenient, but they often feel impersonal and generic, watering down your unique voice and credibility. Try these image ideas to build brand trust for your website:
- Behind-the-scenes snapshots: Show your day-to-day efforts and process.
- Client interactions: Cause you’re so much fun to work with.
- Your workspace: Invite people into your world, showing where the magic happens.
- Success stories: Share the WOW results from your work.
- Put on an outfit you feel great in, think back (or forward) to good times, and smile!
The websites I design look and perform better after we identify those shots that speak to the brand.
USE LANGUAGE THAT SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO YOUR CLIENT
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Walk in your dream client’s shoes.
What are they looking for? Really think about your connection to them, the value they are looking for, and how you provide it. You want your website to mirror their journey, showcasing solutions they’ve been searching for.
Shift the focus from the service you provide to the benefit they receive from working with you. Think about their desired state, where they want to get to.
Instead of “We are a professional dog training service,” try “Enjoy peaceful walks and a harmonious home with your well-behaved pup.”
There is a benefit to incorporating relevant keywords for SEO, but you do not want to keyword stuff your copy! Not only does this harm your search ranking, but your website becomes boring and then people aren’t excited to work with you. Let your unique value and approach shine through.
CREATE CTAs THAT GET CLICKED
Clicks don’t happen just by chance; they happen by design. A call-to-action that your client deems click-worthy? That can be the bridge between interest and action.
Now that you’ve built interest and connection, keep it going with a strong CTA:
- Think about the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ → Be super clear about what happens when they click the button and why it benefits them.
- Try using an action word at the beginning to invite them to take the next step.
- Don’t be vague. Instead of “start now” try “start your wellness journey”.
- Highlight immediate benefits. Instead of “subscribe” try “subscribe for more tips!”, placed within your very helpful article. Instead of “book a session”, use “get 10% off your first session” to let them know this benefit is just one click away.
- Be sure the call-to-action feels like the natural next step based on the text that comes before it. Say you’re talking about transforming your client’s home with your bespoke interior design solutions. Is the next step for them to book your services? Follow with “Start Your Home Transformation Today”
- Get creative with your wording but stay on point.
Finally, put the call-to-action where your visitors will expect to see it, and make it pop (in an on-brand kind of way).
MAKE YOUR PHONE NUMBER CLICKABLE
In the pursuit of instant gratification, people often won’t go through the small hassle to copy and paste your number into their phone app. I mean, don’t we all like things to be easy?
Don’t miss out on those ready to reach out with a quick call. A direct line makes for a quicker point of connection, helping to convert more of your website visitors to clients.
On whichever platform has your website, go to your phone number, and make it a hyperlink that goes to tel:yournumber like this: tel:7787765163
PRIORITIZE A MOBILE-RESPONSIVE WEBSITE
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If your website design isn’t responsive, you’re losing out on a huge audience. I know that about 75% of my website visitors are using their phones, and I often see a similar percentage for my clients’ websites. It would be a shame to miss out on all those potential clients, so don’t let this be the reason your visitors bounce.
A mobile responsive website helps to improve search ranking, nurture your social media traffic, reduce bounce rate, and convert visitors.
Here’s your mobile website checklist:
- Your website loads quickly on your phone.
- Text is easy to read without zooming in.
- CTAs and interactions are easy to tap with your thumb.
- Forms are easy to fill out.
- Key information is visible without having to scroll (i.e. menu, headline, call-to-action, image. This helps with immediate engagement).
- Content is displayed in a single column view to improve readability (i.e. no image and text side-by-side. That’s for wider screens).
- Test your website on your friends’ phones.
MAKE A STRONG FIRST IMPRESSION
It takes just seconds for someone to form an opinion.
If you want website visitors to stick around, honour their time and energy by sharing the goods. We’ve all become expert skimmers, scanning content for the parts that matter to us. So be sure to deliver on that.
Here are my favourite web design best practices:
- Give them a strong headline that echoes their thoughts or needs, helping them feel instantly understood.
- Break apart paragraphs into digestible points. Make each one benefit focussed.
- Identify why people are coming to your website and answer their questions.
- Let yourself shine through. You, your business, and your purpose are magnetic. It absolutely makes a difference to show this side of you.
Make these strategic changes to see more visitors stay on your website, get excited to learn more, and choose to work with you.
THESE WEBSITE TIPS PAIR DESIGN WITH STRATEGY (A WINNING COMBO!)
By applying these website tips, you go beyond making things pretty and into strategically optimizing your website. These strategies help you resonate with your audience, address their needs, and showcase how your services uniquely benefit them, guiding them towards taking action.
These pieces of the puzzle will drive results for your business with the help of your all-mighty website.
Want help to improve your website? Book a free consult to get started, or dive deeper into my website design services.
