How do you know if prospective customers like your website? Your Google Analytics might provide some enlightening data about bounce rate, time on site, visitor behavior. But what do you really understand? Here are five website development keys to customer satisfaction based on Search Engine Journal’s survey of 1,013 US-based respondents between the ages of 18-60 and our own client research. The following strategies are worth adopting if you are building a website.
Live Chat: Give Visitors What They Want
Although this was not cited in the Search Engine Journal survey, our own data strongly suggests that website visitors like and want live chat functionality. It is a fact that a large number of visitors to your website are interested in information only if they can initially remain anonymous. These “drive by” “invisible” visitors will never fill out a contact form because the response takes too long. They won’t email or call because that would require giving up their anonymity. Inner Architect’s live chat service supports the following client benefits:
- Increasing the number of leads and sales your website produces
- Ensuring your website is perceived as current and up-to-date not out dated
- Your brand shows extra interest in customer service
- You only pay for qualified leads; lead criteria is set by you and Inner Architect
- Leads are extremely economically priced for the value they return
- No contracts involved, you can discontinue the service within 30 days of notice
Search Box: Internal Search Engine Functionality
“More than 40% of respondents say a search box is the most important feature on a website.”
One of the most important, simple, and useful elements to a website is providing an internal search engine on your website. Search functionality allows visitors to access the exact content they are looking for immediately if your website is constructed properly. Don’t frustrate your audience give them what they want. How important is a search box on your website? Nearly 33% of those surveyed say they’re put off by no search box on a website.
Content Development a Key to Website Development
50% of survey respondents said “user content, like reviews and photos, helped them most while shopping.”
Google wants your website to answer the question or questions searchers are interested in. They want your website to educate, inform, and they want that content to be “deep” with pages and blog articles topping the 1,000+ word level. Most important is the question- does a website have user intent in mind?
Website Development: Modern, Modern, Modern
“81% of 1,013 US-based respondents, between the ages of 18-60, reveal that they think less of a brand if its website is not updated.”
How many times have you landed on a website only to discover that you think you have made a mistake and typed in the wrong url? You know the scene. The site looks like something that was cutting edge – in 1995. Square, boxy, tiny images if any are used at all, a terrible lack of UX. If you don’t know why you are losing website visitors, begin by honestly assessing the look and feel of your website.
Make Your Website Simple and Easy to Use
It seems obvious but many companies don’t build websites that are easy to navigate. Roughly 43% of survey respondents ranked ease of use as the #1 priority in providing a better online experience. Are you helping your website visitors enjoy their time on your site by giving them the feeling they can find the information, product, or services that motivated them to visit?
Website Development Aimed at Satisfying Your Visitors and Google
Creating a website that answers your visitor’s questions satisfies Google’s focus on delivering the best possible answers for searchers. Making that website chock full of insightful, relevant information using blog articles, images, and video delivers those answers in a creative way. Making a website simple to navigate and easy to search for answers is a key to your website development. Helping everyone who wants to communicate with you especially those “drive-by, invisible” visitors is essential to your success in generating new leads, converting those leads to clients, and having a website that people will love. Finally, if you are debating on the best platform to build your new website please take a look at WordPress. WordPress plug-ins allow you to customize your site on many different levels. WordPress is a solid SEO choice and there are thousands of developers who are able to help. Inner Architect is a WordPress shop and has helped design and develop dozens of sites for a wide array of businesses.
