All websites are not created equal. At SpinWeb, we know this and take great care in crafting association and corporate websites that provide clear benefits to site visitors and assist our clients in meeting their marketing and communications objectives. So what makes an effective website?
1. Design. Good design matters. When prospective customers or members visit your website, they are making a snap judgment about your organization. I have lost count of how many times I have heard my friends say (when talking about an organization) “Have you seen their website? It looks terrible!” People notice your image. It matters and it makes an impression.
2. Content. Along with good design, quality content contributes to the impression your website visitors have of your organization. Not only should your content be grammatically-correct and well-written, but it should be current. If you are posting news items, blog entries, or time-oriented items, be sure that these areas are kept up-to-date. Otherwise, your organization looks stale. Consider hiring a content writer to ensure that your organization is presenting itself professionally.
3. Usability. Resist the temptation to cram everything on the home page. Instead, craft a logical navigation structure that allows your site visitors to progress through information in a way that makes sense to them. This can be done through a simple card sorting exercise or by consulting with your website design agency (who may use card sorting as part of their process).
4. Transaction-ready tools. Today’s websites must be far beyond the days of the “online brochure”. Site visitors today demand interactive tools that allow them to purchase items, register for events, get answers, communicate with others, pay bills, and acquire content. In order to be competitive, your website must provide these tools and process data in real time. These tools must also make it easy to capture information and process it for later communication so that you don’t lose touch with visitors. Don’t make visitors call to register, fill out a paper form, or wait three days for an answer. These activities must happen in a matter of minutes via your website.
5. Structural quality. Most people don’t ever see the code “under the hood” that makes up a website, but how that code is structured makes a difference in the user experience. Clean, well-crafted code will result in a website that loads quickly, is search-engine friendly, and is accessible to users with disabilities.
6. Social media integration. Today’s websites must integrate seamlessly into social media in order to have an effective presence. Be sure your press releases, blogs, events, and other content items include a “Share This” button to allow site visitors to easily share your content. Your website should also automatically post content to other networks to automate the distribution process (done via Ping.fm). After this, be sure your employees are re-posting and participating in the resulting conversations.
7. Search engine marketing. Where do people go to find information? You guessed it: Google. If you are not targeting topical keywords and aligning your website with these terms, you are missing a huge opportunity. Creating a well-structured website is one prerequisite, but your organization must also invest in a systematic search engine marketing strategy that targets your audience correctly and collects leads from the resulting traffic. Organic search marketing is the most effective but AdWords are also effective.
While not a comprehensive list, these are the minimum requirements for an effective website. Whether your organization is an association or a corporation, these guidelines will help maximize the effectiveness of your website.
Are there other habits that you would like to add? I would love to hear your comments.
