IT
GET IT RIGHT FIRST-TIME ONLINE
W.Howard offers its top tips on how to create an effective customer website.
I
n today’s digital society, it’s n ever been more important to have a professional website for your customers. The internet has given customers direct access to more companies and information than ever before. Your website is often the first point-of-contact between you and your potential new customers. E ven if they are recommended to you by word-of-mouth, a quick online search will bring them to your site where they can decide whether or not they want to work with your business.
This is why your site has to be more than just a glorified shop window – as well as giving a comprehensive overview of the products and services you offer, it also has to reflect your business’ brand and its core values.
A simple user journey According to KPMG data, 55% of people search online for reviews and recommendations before making a purchase, with 47% visiting the company’s website. Research from Chartbeat suggests that 55% of visitors spend fewer than 15 seconds on a website before making a choice, meaning that you have to make a good impression almost instantly, and make it as straightforward as possible to find the information
possible to find the information they need.
The user journey (how easy your website is to navigate) must
b e intuitive and straightforward otherwise you risk people getting distracted, or clicking away in annoyance and heading to your competition instead. You only have one chance to make a first impression.
At
W.Howard we have
streamlined our own website t o make everything on the site accessible directly from the home page. Links to our most popular products and designs are clearly signposted, as are our latest brochure and Twitter feed. Our Corporate Video also takes centre stage, making the site interactive and encouraging people to click to get a visual introduction to our brand values.
Video is a medium that’s
becoming increasingly valuable as a tool for web designers. With the short attention spans of internet consumers, it gives them the chance to consume more content faster, and to create a great
experience that stops your website just feeling like a static brochure. People are more likely to click and watch a two-minute video about a company than t hey are to read 50 0 words about that same company on the website.
Best products first As a merchant you may or may not want to offer an online eCommerce channel, but what you do need to ensure is that people browsing your site can see
quickly the full range of products you offer. For merchants who may stock thousands of different product SKUs, this can be easier said than done.
Clear product navigation from your home page should, at the very least, highlight the most popular products or product sectors you deal with, and the ones that your customers are most likely to be interested in. There are numerous benefits to this – ensuring your customers can quickly see if you offer what they need, and also encouraging add-on sales, so that if they know they want to buy product A from you, they are also aware you sell tangential products that they may also need to purchase for the same job. Customers are more likely to come to you for goods if they can buy everything they need in one place, rather than having to go to numerous different merchants to fulfil their needs.
W.Howard’s most popular
products are listed on the home page to make it easier for customers to identify. Product information is separated in a number of ways so that users can easily choose between the finishes, as well as being able to quickly sort between our Classic, Contemporary and
Period styled products. Clicking on any of these links takes users to a dedicated page where they can find out more about each range, as well as giving them the ability to request a sample of the product.
However comprehensive,
websites are only ever meant to be an introduction to a company, so it’s vital to give your visitors access to further information when they might need it. For merchants, this might include a full list of your branches,
downloadable product brochures and technical information, as well as details of any professional accreditations your business may hold.
Contact details must be up to date and easy to find either from the footer or navigation bar, along with links to all your social media channels, so that customers can find you and
begin what could quickly become a long-term and profitable relationship for you both. The ‘Resources’ tab on
W.Howard’s website features our latest brochure, installation videos, downloadable PDFs with details of all our MDF profiles, and our ISO and FSC-certification certificates, while our Contacts page has details of all our offices and production facilities. BMJ
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