What Makes a Good Website: Essential Features Every Business Website Should Have

In today's digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for every business. If you're looking to start an ecommerce business, a well-designed website not only helps you attract and retain customers but also establishes your brand as a professional and trustworthy entity.

So, what makes a good website?

1. Clear design
2. Optimised for all devices
3. Fresh content
4. Fast loading
5. Secure online environment

In this article, we will explore the essential website features that every business website should have to strike the right balance between aesthetics and functionality.

Key Qualities of a Great Website

Before we dive into the specific website features, let's discuss the key qualities that make a great website before starting an online business. What makes a good website design is its visual appeal, ease of navigation, mobile-friendliness, and the value and relevance of its content. Additionally, effective call-to-actions (CTAs), fast loading speed, and a trustworthy and secure online environment are features of a good website.

1. Clear and engaging visual design

The visual design of your website is the first thing that visitors notice. It should be clean, modern, and visually appealing. The use of high-quality images, engaging videos, and well-designed graphics can make a significant impact on the overall user experience. Remember, a cluttered and confusing design can drive potential customers away.

When it comes to creating a clear and engaging visual design, it's important to consider the psychology of colour. Different colours evoke different emotions and can have a profound effect on how visitors perceive your website. For example, using warm colours like red and orange can create a sense of urgency and excitement, while cool colours like blue and green can promote a feeling of calmness and trust.

Another crucial aspect of visual design is typography. The choice of fonts can greatly influence the readability and overall aesthetic of your website. It's essential to select fonts that are easy to read and align with your brand's personality. Whether you opt for a classic serif font or a modern sans-serif font, consistency is key throughout your website to maintain a cohesive and professional look.

Furthermore, incorporating white space or negative space into your design can greatly enhance the user experience. White space refers to the empty areas between elements on a webpage. It helps to create a sense of balance, allows important elements to stand out, and improves readability. By strategically using white space, you can guide visitors' attention to the most important parts of your website and make it easier for them to navigate.

One aspect of visual design that is often overlooked is the use of visual hierarchy. Visual hierarchy refers to the arrangement and presentation of elements on a webpage to convey their importance. By using size, colour, and placement, you can guide visitors' attention and ensure that they focus on the most critical information first. This can help improve the overall user experience and increase the chances of visitors staying on your website for longer.

2. Intuitive navigation and user-friendly layout

Users crave simplicity and convenience when navigating a website. A key feature of a good website is an intuitive navigation menu, placed in a prominent location, which allows visitors to quickly find the information they are looking for. A user-friendly layout with logical organization of content and clear headings improves readability and enhances the overall user experience.

3. Responsive and mobile-optimised design

In today's mobile-driven world, having a website that is responsive and mobile-optimised is no longer optional — it's a necessity. A mobile-friendly design ensures that your website looks and functions seamlessly across different devices and screen sizes. This ensures that your business is accessible to a wider audience and improves user engagement.

If you're unsure where to start, choosing the right ecommerce website builder can significantly ease the process.

4. High-quality and relevant content

Content is king, and what makes a website good is the quality and relevance of its content. Whether it's informative articles, engaging blog posts, or compelling product descriptions, these essential features of a website should be well-written, easy to understand, and tailored to your target audience's needs.

5. Effective Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

A call-to-action (CTA) is a powerful tool that directs users to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. Using compelling language and visually appealing buttons can significantly boost user engagement and conversion rates. If you're planning to register a business in the UK, effective CTAs are an essential feature to include on your website.

6. Fast loading speed and performance

In a world where attention spans are shrinking by the second, having a fast-loading website is vital. One of the key features of a good website is its ability to load quickly. Users expect fast-loading pages, and a sluggish website can frustrate visitors and drive them away.

7. Trustworthy and secure online environment

With cyber threats on the rise, ensuring a safe and secure online environment is paramount for a good website design. Implementing SSL encryption, regular security updates, and displaying trust indicators, such as customer testimonials and security badges, instills confidence in your visitors. For UK businesses, using services like the government gateway adds an extra layer of trustworthiness and security.

Incorporating User-Centred Design Principles

It's not just about how your website looks; it's also about how it caters to your target audience. Incorporating user-centred design principles can make a significant difference in user satisfaction and overall success of your website.

Understanding your target audience and their needs

Before designing your website, it's important to conduct thorough research to understand your target audience. Identify their needs, preferences, and pain points. This knowledge will help you create a website that resonates with your audience and meets their expectations.

Prioritising accessibility and inclusivity

Your website should be accessible to everyone, regardless of disabilities or impairments. Consider incorporating features such as alt tags for images, captions for videos, and clear and concise content that is easily readable by screen readers. Prioritising inclusivity ensures that your website is usable and enjoyable for a wider range of users.

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Gathering user feedback and making iterative improvements

Engaging with your audience and collecting feedback is crucial in continuously improving your website. Implementing user feedback tools, conducting surveys, and analysing user behavior can provide valuable insights into areas where your website can be enhanced. Making iterative improvements based on this feedback ensures your website remains relevant and user-friendly.

Balancing Aesthetics with Functionality

When designing your website, it's essential to strike the right balance between aesthetics and functionality. While a visually appealing website can attract customers' attention, it's equally important to ensure that it serves its purpose effectively.

Designing with a purpose and clear message

A well-designed website should convey a clear message and purpose. Every element on your website, from colours and fonts to images and layout, should align with your brand identity and communicate your values. Clarity of message ensures that visitors understand what your business offers and why they should choose you.

Consistency in branding and design elements

Your website should reflect your brand consistently across all pages. Consistency in branding elements such as logo, colour palette, typography, and tone of voice enhances brand recognition and helps build trust with your audience.

Learning how to build a social media brand can augment your website's consistency across various platforms.

Optimising for Search Engines (SEO)

Having a visually appealing and user-friendly website is crucial, but it's equally important to ensure that your website ranks well on search engine result pages. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques help improve your website's visibility and organic traffic.

Incorporating relevant keywords and metadata

SEO isn't just a buzzword; it's a necessity for making sure your fabulous website actually gets seen. At the core of SEO are keywords—those terms that your potential customers are typing into Google. Think of keywords as the bridge that connects your business with your audience online. Properly researched and well-incorporated keywords can catapult your site's search engine rankings.

Don't overlook metadata, either. This is the behind-the-scenes info that search engines gobble up. Your meta descriptions, image alt texts, and header tags should all include relevant keywords. A sound keyword and metadata strategy is like fitting your website with a turbocharger—suddenly, you're getting to where you want to be much faster!

Creating valuable and shareable content

Content is what keeps your visitors glued to your site and coming back for more. But not just any content—a library of ‘meh’ won’t do. You need to offer high-quality, engaging, and valuable insights that your audience finds beneficial. What makes content shareable? Often, it's usefulness, emotional impact, or the unique angle that your brand can provide. And don’t forget, content that gets shared around the digital campfire also gains more clout in search engine algorithms. Win-win!

Building a strong internal linking structure

Imagine your website as a house, where each page is a room. Now, how easy is it for someone to go from the living room to the kitchen? Internal links serve as the hallways that guide visitors from one part of your website to another. A strong internal linking structure not only improves user experience but also enables search engines to index your site more effectively. Each link should be a clear pathway that adds value, answering the implicit question in the visitor's mind: "Where can I go next to find what I need?"

Maximising Conversion and Engagement

Ultimately, the goal of your website is to convert visitors into customers and maximise user engagement. By implementing effective conversion optimisation techniques, such as clear CTAs, persuasive copywriting, and streamlined user flows, you can increase your chances of turning visitors into loyal customers.

For more advanced insights into how your website is performing, it's critical to understand and monitor various ecommerce metrics to track.

Crafting compelling landing pages

Landing pages are the superstars when it comes to conversions. These are the pages designed for a specific purpose, like downloading a free e-book, signing up for a webinar, or making a purchase. The key to a successful landing page is focus. Each element should aim to drive users towards a singular action, eliminating distractions. Use persuasive headings, bullet points for easy reading, compelling visuals, and an irresistibly clickable CTA to seal the deal.

Using persuasive storytelling techniques

Storytelling is as old as humankind, but its power is often underestimated in the digital world. A good story can humanise your brand, create an emotional connection, and make complex information easily digestible. Whether you're sharing a customer success story or the journey of how your product came to be, a well-told narrative can work wonders in engaging your audience. And let's not forget, everyone loves a good story; they’re more likely to share it, talk about it, and remember it.

Leveraging social proof and testimonials

Ever noticed how you're more likely to try a new restaurant if friends recommend it? That's social proof in action. Testimonials, reviews, and endorsements can act as powerful motivators for potential customers. Displaying these on your website lends credibility and could be the nudge a visitor needs to become a customer. Adding a ‘Featured In’ section with media logos where your brand has been mentioned can also be a major trust-builder.

Conclusion

In today's digital landscape, a good website is more than just an online presence — it's a powerful marketing tool. By incorporating the essential website features, like clear visual design, intuitive navigation, mobile optimszation, high-quality content, effective CTAs, and a secure online environment, you can create a website that not only attracts and engages users but also elevates your business in the digital world.

Remember, building a successful website is an ongoing process. Continuously monitor and analyse your website's performance, collect user feedback, and stay up-to-date with the latest in good website design trends and best practices to ensure your website remains effective and competitive.