What are the major factors behind an effective website? 5 top tips from our insight team.

1. Setup the right home page.

This is the key page. Visitors usually choose to remain on your website within 5 seconds, based solely on the layout of the homepage.

DON’T try and say everything on the home page. This is the most common mistake. Across the whole website, you have more than enough opportunity to present what you’re doing, so don’t feel you’ve got to say everything on the cover page.

2. Keep the navigation simple.

Try to streamline all of your services and products into a few wide, simple choices. Your visitor must be able to browse through the page quickly without getting lost or confused by links.

3. Search engine optimisation.

It’s essential that your website is on Google’s page 1, but it should be for the appropriate keywords. Suggest you spend time researching the keywords that are most important for your business.

You have to contemplate the best strategies to transform Google’s positioning into sales. A smart SEO plan will change a website’s conversion rate.

Your website, and particularly your homepage, should complement your selected range of keywords strongly and indefinitely.

Landing pages should be specifically designed to promote your USPs and clarify what you are doing with respect to your focused keywords.

4. Web Design, Images, Video and Copy.

Avoid using pre-designed prototypes to model your website and do not use a web developer to design your website. A well-designed website requires a professional graphic designer.

A graphic designer will be able to properly brand your website and make sure that your core messages are expressed constructively.

Good quality images and effective content are of utmost importance. Keep the copy as simple as possible and try to get your visitors interested instead of just writing about your company.

Instead of using stock images, try to develop your own photography.

Online video has now become increasingly popular. A nice video can be far more powerful in explaining the products or services than lot of written content with few static pictures.

5. Social Media Marketing.

Embracing social media is extremely vital in your internet marketing plan.

Social media will provide a more engaging and intimate way to communicate with your followers when it’s executed well.

A good tactic for service companies is to provide useful or interesting facts and then gain a following on sites like Blogs, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. When users like this content they’re going to read it, post on it and possibly exchange it with their connections.