Running a business in the 21st century is completely different than anything before. Not only is having a website useful: it’s necessary. A well-made website will allow your customers to easily find you, learn about your products, and may even push them into purchasing from you.
According to experts in SEO marketing & traffic services, it's also crucial for your website to have content that is unique, interesting, and relevant, with links that lead to the correct pages.
In addition, having a functional website allows your retail business to reach a wider audience. It gives you the opportunity to increase your customer base. Existing and potential clients can browse your products and buy from your online store at any time that's convenient for them.
Furthermore, a website allows you to monitor how potential clients interact with your featured products. With this information, you get to narrow down the products that visitors like the most or the least. This way, you'll gain a deeper understanding of consumer behavior, allowing you to assist them better in their customer journey.
So, these are the eight most essential pieces of a good retail business' website and why they matter.
1. Basic Information About Your Business
Every business has information that needs to be explained at the basic level. This could be your store's hours, address, phone number, purpose, and any other information you feel is important enough for your customers. This can also be where you offer an introduction to the company and those who run it, including a couple of sentences about what sets your business apart from your competitors. This doesn't have to be your site's landing page, but it should be a portion that's easy to find labeled 'About Us' or labeled by the main information on the page.
2. A Call to Action
Strategically placed within the content, a call to action is an interactive element that encourages an immediate reaction from the potential client. A compelling call to action may appear as an opportunity too good to pass up or resist, leading visitors to click the all-important button.
What a call to action is will change from company to company. For some, a call to action is when you can convince them to complete a purchase, but for others, it may be gaining their email for your mailing list. Think about what your company needs from your site's visitors and how you can get that completed. A call to action can be a banner saying they'll get 10% off if they purchase within the next five minutes, or it could be a reminder to join your mailing list in order to be notified about future sales.
In essence, a well-crafted call to action will improve your click-through rate and lead to more conversions, ultimately boosting your retail company’s bottom line.
3. Successful SEO Use
SEO is vital to any business because it raises your chances of being found by possible customers. Search engine optimization can be done through link building, which shows that your company is a trustworthy source, has good reviews, and even guest posts on blogs and article sites. These will all boost your numbers in search engines and allow more clicks on your site- which can then transfer into purchases of your product or services.
4. Formatted for Both Mobile and Desktop
Although most people have a computer: it’s projected that 72% of people will only access the internet via their smartphones by 2025. This means that if you don't have a good mobile version of your website, you could be leaving yourself with only 28% of people able to access your information. So take the time, and invest the money so that your site works on either device. This will make it easier for everyone to use and will ensure you don't lose any customers.
5. Clear Ways for Customers to Find You
Navigating from their home to your store or product’s physical location matters! A retailer locator software will allow visitors to easily find where they can buy your product and give them a chance to put in information like their email. This will also allow you to learn where your product is the most wanted, if people search in areas where your items aren't currently available, or if you're considering building another retail location.
6. Navigation That’s Easy to Access
A site that’s difficult to navigate is a site that’s going to lose business for you. Instead of trying to seem ahead of the curve and complicate things, you should take the time to ensure that anyone in your customer base can clearly get through the site. Keep navigation towards the top of the site, and ensure that it’s available on both mobile and desktop.
7. An Area That Answers Basic Questions
If you have to pick up the phone to answer every question that pops into peoples' minds about your company: you're going to spend a long time answering phone calls and emails. Instead, include a FAQ section on your site that can run through whatever they want to know. Ensure that this site page has an 'ask a question' function where you can receive an email from them because this will also help you gather emails.
8. Reviews From Customers
Other people have purchased from your company before, and they can be the deciding feature that allows people to see why you’re worth buying from. To create this connection, you can either embed reviews from sites like Google or Yelp or update them manually, but this will take time. Another option would be to reach out to clients and customers to create a video testimonial for your product or business. They are typically more polished and professional and can be more targeted to convey the key message you want to communicate. A quick and easy way for your customers to make these videos is by providing a video recording app specifically for testimonials. This allows them to craft engaging video testimonials faster, helping them to execute the task more efficiently. Though it requires time and effort, the rewards are great as it allows you to build a relationship with them while boosting your credibility through their testimony. Ensure that if any fake or spoof reviews are left on your site or Google, you have them removed.
Your Business’s Website Is Only As Useful As You Make It
Having a website is vital to ensure that your business succeeds: but it's more than just having the site that matters. Putting in the work to create a site that delivers on your customers' needs and gives them the push to purchase will be what sets your company ahead of the competition.
