Do you have a business website? Are you happy with it? In business, first impressions count, and in the digital age, potential customers will probably get that all-important first impression via your website. This means that you won’t have the chance to wow them with your sales pitch or to demonstrate your products in person. Instead, the decision to do business with you, or not, will often be made based on the impression that your website gives your potential customers.

Many people use the internet as a primary source of information for their purchase decisions. Shoppers use the internet to check out reviews from other customers and find out whether the company’s products are of high quality and if they offer excellent customer service. Product research via the internet allows shoppers to access all of this information without needing to commit to a purchase. This demonstrates the importance of creating a website that looks professional and showcases your business in the best possible way.

Having a website for your business is standard practice nowadays for companies of all sizes. So, if you have a company website, you can guarantee that your competitors also have one. This means that you need to ensure that your website is better than your competitors’. Sounds simple right? Creating a website that makes customers want to buy from you and sets your business apart from your competitors is no easy task. There are so many elements to consider when creating a professional-looking business website that you may be wondering where even to start – read on to find out:

Do Your Research

Have you ever wondered what makes some websites great, while others make you want to click the back button immediately? Thinking about what you like and dislike about the sites that you visit will help you to pinpoint improvements that can be made to your website.

While you should never copy your competitor’s websites, it is useful to do a little research and see what they look like, and the content that they contain. This will help you to understand what your competitors do well and to also look out for gaps in their offering that you could capitalize on.

Make it all About the Brand

Your website is the perfect way to showcase your brand. Your website is something that you have control over, it is visual, and you write the content; when combined, these elements enable you to tailor everything about your website to suit your brand. Your website and social media pages offer the ideal opportunity to communicate your brand identity and to build brand awareness. As your branding is unique to your business, your online presence also enables you to differentiate yourself from your competitors.

Picture Perfect

Websites are a visual medium, so the importance of the images that you use on your site should never be underestimated. Poor quality images can destroy the look of the whole site, making it look sub-standard and unprofessional. High-quality imagery that is sized correctly is vital when creating a professional website.

Having headshots taken of yourself and your team is the perfect way to get people engaged in your brand and see the real people that are behind the website. Make sure that you use professional portrait photography so that you have the best quality images possible, and to ensure that your brand is conveyed professionally.

Another image-related consideration that can make or break a website is product photography. In the absence of being able to see the product with their own eyes, customers are dependent on the product photos to aid their purchase decisions. A blurry, poor quality photo won’t do your products justice, and ultimately will impact on sales. People need to be able to clearly see the features of the product when deciding whether or not to buy it.

Carefully Crafted Content

In the same way that poor imagery can devalue a website, the same applies to weak copy. The written content on your site needs to be on brand and free from mistakes.

It is crucial that you create content that adds value to the site and is useful to your customers. Veering off-topic too often can dilute your brand and confuse visitors to your website.

As well as being relevant, the content needs to be free from typos, spelling mistakes, and grammatical errors. Be sure to double-check all content before publishing it, as simple mistakes like these can impact the professional integrity of your brand and your website.