Think about how captivating storefront displays lure customers in to indulge their shopping desires. Those are few and far between now and the physical storefronts have transitioned into the digital realm. Your virtual shop window, namely your website, holds the power to either elevate your business or bring it to a standstill.

A good first impression

It’s one of the first marketing touchpoints to influence a potential customer’s purchasing decision. Should your website suffer from slow loading times, complicated navigation, or look unattractive, the likelihood of those customers bouncing skyrockets.

So if you’re under the illusion that your website content doesn’t matter, you’re in for a reality check. Here are 6 ways to improve your website performance…

It takes just 2 seconds for a website visitor to bounce – and it all comes down to your site’s loading time. If your site is too slow to load, visitors are unlikely to give you a second chance.

If someone looks up your site, they want it presented to them instantly. They don't want to wait around, as they'll lose interest and switch off. Attention spans are growing shorter and shorter, with the rise in short-form content. Don't let the dreaded buffer be the reason for your site's downfall.

2. Wow them with your looks

Even if your site loads up instantly and visitors stick around, this doesn’t guarantee a sale. You've got to give them something to look at, to catch their attention. Over half of scrollers prefer an aesthetically pleasing webpage to a basic one. So have fun with it and get creative. Build a colour scheme, get some fun images in and make sure your visitors know exactly what and who you are.

Something you may not instantly think of is mobile users. If your site isn't optimised for mobile use, you'll only put a customer off more. Think about all that time you spend scrolling on your phone. You're not going to be too happy if you open up a site to find you can only see half of it.

3. Building credibility click by click

Consumers trust a good website – and in the same way, they distrust a bad one. A study by Stanford University found that 75% of people judge a company’s credibility on its website design and user experience alone. It can look unprofessional if your website is messy and slow.

But it’s not just about looking the part. If your site lacks details like a business address, contact number, or email, potential customers won't know where to find you. You should also make sure that these details are easily visible and accessible. Customers don't want to hunt for a way to contact you.

4. The power of keywords

Where your site sits on the search engine results page (SERP) is determined by website traffic, keywords, and backlinks – among many other factors. This is where SEO comes in. Make sure you're choosing relevant, topical keywords to focus on. You want to make your way to the top, so do your research.

But it has to make sense. You could target all the right keywords for your industry, but if your page isn't readable, potential customers won't hang around. Plus, you're making yourself look unprofessional.

5. Make sure it flows

Support your visitors through your website. The work doesn’t stop with the CTA. Once they’re on your website, the user journey should be simple. Add the right information to guide them through what you want them to do, whether that’s on landing pages, blogs, or contact forms.

Whether you want to make sales, get more follows or get them to sign up to a newsletter, your website should point your visitors in that direction. Don't confuse them with an information dump in the middle.

6. Service with a digital smile

With 83% of consumers citing customer service as the most important factor when deciding to make a purchase, it should always be your priority, regardless of company size. As well as having contact information available and obvious on your page, make sure you follow up on your promises of communication. Respond to your customers quickly and professionally, but with a friendly manner. There's nothing more offputting than a rude or abrupt response.

And in this day and age, combining customer service with digital touchpoints is a must – in fact, 86% of users expect to find the information they need online before speaking to a live agent. When your resource hub or chatbot won’t load, they’ll go elsewhere. Getting your website performance up to speed (quite literally) could be the difference between securing a customer’s loyalty in the long run and never hearing from them again.

Better websites, better conversions

Having a website matters, but having an amazing website matters more. The user experience is critical to consistent conversions, and it all starts with that first click. But if your site isn’t up to scratch right now, that's okay!

Our Website Builder has everything you need to build a site to wow your visitors and turn clicks into customers. Choose from a selection of dynamic templates, customise and you're live! No design or dev experience needed.

And once your website is up and running, we've got Online Marketing Tools to help you get set up for success. Whether that's SEO, marketing or ads, we've got you covered.

Got questions? Chat with our team of experts and they'll help you with whatever you need. Give us a call on 0333 0142 700 or message via live chat.