In an Internet-centric world, it is critical for every business owner to have an online presence that says “you”. How do you achieve this? By developing a strong corporate identity and working on your online findability. But all this hard work is for nothing if you don’t have a strong website. In this blog, we take a closer look at the 8 characteristics of a good website. Follow these steps and in no time you will be the star of the Internet!
Feature 1: What is the goal?
We start with the most important features of a good website. Want your website to look professional? Then make sure your website has a purpose! Doesn’t your website have a purpose? Then chances are that your content, design and the structure of your website are inconsistent. This is because purpose provides direction for everything involved in building and managing a website.
The thing that makes a goal so important is that it allows you to communicate directly to your visitors. After all, they want to know what to expect once they spend time on your website or online store.
Communicate your purpose to your customer
Websites can have many different purposes. Think of selling products or services, bringing people together or informing. As a website owner, it is advisable to communicate this goal to your customer as much and as clearly as possible, this is one of the characteristics of a good website. But how do you do that?
At Gaia Digital, we design and build websites for entrepreneurs. Through various landing pages, we communicate our purpose and message. Other ways to share your message with your (potential) customers is through call to actions, newsletters, the content on your website and the information you share about your services or products. Whether you are a real estate agent or a therapist, we can help you make your purpose clear as day.
But wait! We have a few more tips on how to make your purpose clear. It is advisable to be as unique as possible. (Potential) customers need to know what makes your company different from others. This is important since we live in a world where almost every market is saturated. Another tip is to use clear language. Avoid boring and vague terms and clichés. Instead, choose stimulating copy that makes your website visitors curious and prompts them to take action.
Feature 2: Let the website be a reflection of the company
You want to be taken seriously by everyone who spends time on your website. You can do this by spending time designing and building (or having designed and built) a professional-looking website that reflects your business. Professionalism is one of the most important features of a good website, especially today!
A strong and professional design is more important than you think! After all, visitors form their opinions about your website within two seconds. So it is important that you leave a positive impression on everyone who visits your website. If your website is out of step with today’s modern times, it will create a bad first impression.
How do you provide the perfect picture?
A professional website reflects your company’s values and identity. So think carefully about what colors you use, as these have a psychological impact on your website visitors. Other contributing factors are user experience, search engine optimization and conversion optimization. We will come back to these in detail in a moment!
As with the communication of purpose, it is very important to make sure that you stand out from the competition in professional web design as well. So really sit down and roll up your sleeves and build your own website. Don’t have the time or the technical skills to do this? Then of course we are happy to help!
Feature 3: A functional and responsive design
Did you know that the majority of your website visitors arrive at your website via their smartphone or tablet? It is therefore super important that your site is responsive. This means that your website functions and looks good on all kinds of screens, from a laptop to a mobile device. A responsive website brings a lot of benefits. It is really very important and one of the most important features of a good website.
Responsiveness contributes to a professional appearance, an improved user experience and online findability. Not only (potential) customers, but also search engines prefer a website or webshop that can be visited on all devices.
Did you know that responsive design is cost- and time-saving? Instead of building or having multiple different websites built for the different devices, a responsive design simply adapts to the screen. So you only need one website! Another advantage is that with a functional and responsive design, your website will be completely ready for the future. A responsive site easily adapts to all new devices and technologies. This makes responsive design a true investment.
Feature 4: Good UX/UI
Before we get into the importance of a good UX and UI, it’s helpful to explain exactly what these terms mean.
UX design, also known as User Experience Design, is all about the user experience. Here the focus is on responsive design, logical navigation, clear structure, fast load times and accessible design. When we talk about UI design, User Interface Design, the focus is on how the website looks. Here the colors, shapes, animations, graphics and readability are of great importance.
A good website is characterized by thoughtful User Experience and User Interface design. The combination of the two elements forms the basis of a successful and enjoyable online experience for website visitors.
Therefore, it is highly recommended that website owners invest in high-quality UX and UI design. This will strengthen your online presence and increase visitor engagement. The ultimate result? Achieving your conversion goals!
Feature 5: Think carefully about your content
You probably know this, but quality and valuable content is like the beating heart of a successful website. Therefore, set up effective content planning as soon as possible so that you can take advantage of all the benefits that content creation brings.
Content (blogs, articles, videos, infographics, etc.) serve as a lure for visitors. When you use good keywords that match the questions and needs of your potential customers, this will lead to a growth in organic traffic. In fact, search engines like Google will reward you when you post valuable, relevant and quality content.
Another great benefit of content creation is that it contributes to your credibility. By publishing content that is not only useful, but also engaging, you can quickly position yourself as an authority within your industry. This increases the likelihood that your target audience will feel engaged, which in turn can lead to positive word-of-mouth advertising and repeat visitors! Want to increase your visitors’ engagement and interaction with them? You can do this! This allows you to give your website visitors the ability to comment on your content, ask questions and share your blogs, videos or infographics.
The best reason content is on the list of characteristics of a good website is that strong and quality content can help generate leads and drive conversion. Smart call-to-actions and compelling content help encourage your website visitors. Who knows, they might request more information, fill out a form or make a purchase. All in all, content is extremely important!
Feature 6: Build trust with your visitors
Building trust is of great importance. There are three main reasons for this:
- Trust serves as the cornerstone of all successful online interactions and transactions.
- A high level of online trust contributes to positive brand reputation and customer loyalty.
- Search engines such as Google value the reliability of websites and rank them higher in search results.
Now that you know the value of generating online trust, you must be wondering how to build this form of trust! First, it is recommended that you read this article carefully and implement as many of the characteristics of a good website as possible on your own website or web shop.
Other ways you can build trust on the Web are the following: make sure your Web site is technically sound (more on this in a moment). It is also important that your website is secure. This is because this immediately creates a sense of trust with the visitor.
Above all, as a company, show who you are. This way you not only generate trust, but also sympathy! So create an “about us” or “team” page so that you can present your vision, but also literally and figuratively show your face. People like to connect with people and like to see who they are working with or buying from. The next tip is to communicate your contact information as clearly as possible. This is not only good for the customer, but also for you! That way, you won’t miss any potential opportunities.
Wat maakt jouw website onweerstaanbaar?
Feature 7: Make sure your website is technically strong
The technology of a website cannot be forgotten on a list full of characteristics of a good website. Besides the look of a website is the back end, performance, functionality and user experience are also hugely important. Perhaps even more important! A website that is technically strong offers benefits to both the visitor and the search engine.
So, what all falls under a technically strong website? You can think about fast load times, responsive design, intuitive navigation. You can also focus on fixing errors and problems such as optimizing URLs, metatexts and H1 headings.
A technically strong website contributes to the security and reliability of your business online. By implementing regular updates and backup systems, you minimize the chances of cyberattacks and data breaches, strengthening your customers’ trust.
By investing in the technical aspects of your site, you lay a strong foundation for growth, visibility and reliability, ultimately resulting in a profitable and thriving online business.
Feature 8: Being found in the search engines
When talking about the characteristics of a good website, we should not only think about the website visitors, but also search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing! This can be done using Search Engine Optimization (SEO), also known as search engine optimization. Some business owners underestimate the importance of SEO, but it is the key to increasing online visibility, increasing organic traffic and boosting conversions.
Proper implementation of SEO ensures that you will rank higher in search results, making it easier to reach your desired audience. By implementing relevant keywords, optimizing your website and content, learning from your competitors and gathering approval from others, you can attract more organic traffic. What more could you want?
The characteristics of a good website – A conclusion
Now that you know what the 8 characteristics of a good website are, it’s the perfect time to get started with all this new knowledge. Are you struggling because it’s all too much? No problem! Gaia Digital is happy to help you! We are happy to help you set up a website (or webshop) that meets all the characteristics of a good website
