It is the quality of your content that will ultimately determine your website success or failure. Obviously, people must be able to find your content, which brings in the SEO techniques used in website design. However, it is the combination of these two elements that will have the most impact on your site’s popularity with current and potential customers.

Here are seven questions to ask yourself:

1. Does Your Website Load Quickly?

In this age of instant gratification, most web visitors won’t wait more than a few seconds for a web page to load before moving on. Even though a lot of video, large files and other elements of web design seem to make your site more interesting, they may slow down the load time. Use only those elements that add real value to your site.

2. Is Your Website Compatible With Multiple Browsers/Devices?

People may be viewing your site on a variety of web browsers, as well as on smartphones and tablets. It is important to test your site on a number of different browsers and devices to make sure everyone has access to it. One way to help assure the latter, is to use a responsive web design so that your website is accessible on all mobile devices.

3. Is Your Website Easy To Navigate?

When people visit your site, they are looking for specific information and they want to find it quickly. If the navigation is too complex, it will only cause frustration and your visitor will leave. Even though you may have heard or read that a sitemap is only important for search engines this isn’t true. A simple HTML sitemap enhances the user experience by providing a one page source for all information contained on your site. The sitemap can be an especially crucial element if your website is very large.

4. Does Your Website Provide Real Value?

If you are in a competitive industry, what makes your website any different or better than your competition? The answer will lie in its presentation and content. Your website will be more successful if everything is arranged in a logical sequence and your web design is consistent on all pages. The content on your site must answer questions or provide information that will allow your visitors to make better informed buying decisions. It’s not who you are but what makes you better.

5. Does Your Website Have A Hidden Agenda?

Successful online relationships are built on confidence and trust. You must be totally transparent in all information provided on your website. The easiest way to lose a prospect or customer is for them to feel like they’ve been tricked into doing something. Be totally honest and up front with everything.

6. Is Your Website Balanced Between Value and Marketing?

Does the content of your website actually solve a problem? Your visitors come looking for information and most of them have no intention of buying anything right now. They would really like to find a reason why they should do business with your company. Efforts to constantly sell is a major turn off. By showing that you place the customers’ interests above your own, you are giving them the best reason to buy from you.

7. Is Your Website Content Easy to Read and Understand?

Most people seem to be always in a hurry. They will not read every word you place on the page. They will look for a headline, a caption or a word, and if they don’t find it, they will move on to another site. Your content should focus on short sentences and paragraphs written in plain English so the average person understands what you’re talking about.

Remember that your website is your business in the minds of the online community. If people don’t like your website, they will most likely have little interest in any other areas of your business. You must design a site that is search engine friendly, but more importantly, it must be designed through the eyes of the consumer.

Contact The Sherwood Group today to learn more about creating a website that is appreciated by search engines and read, linked to, and shared by consumers and other businesses.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to check out these others:

Grow Your Business With Email Marketing
Email Marketing: How to Keep Your Messages Out of Your Customer’s Spam Box
Why Should You Care About Starting A Blog?
Combining Blogging and Social Media into a Truly Effective Strategy
5 Ways You Can Benefit By Using LinkedIn
How To Amp Up Your Visibility With Facebook

This article is published by Will Sherwood | The Sherwood Group |Website Design | Graphic Design | Marketing Communications: The Sherwood Group has over 30 years of experience working with all sorts of companies, small and large. Our clients range from entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 firms, in nearly every business sector, from across the street to around the world (and yes, even Europe, China, and South America). Our goal is to create advertising,  graphic design, website design, and marketing communication that still looks fresh and relevant 10-15 years later. Our mission is to stir your imagination and leave your competition shaken and wondering,  Now what do we do?”  We are located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

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