Think about it. If websites matter before the pandemic, how much more now? Studies point out people hit the internet before they even hit brick-and-mortar stores. Specifically, a whopping 9 % of American consumers look up local businesses online. And for B2B buyers, it’s 94%. And those studies were done in 2019 when things were considerably calmer. As stay-at-home orders are becoming the new normal and remote work a trend, websites are the new rainmakers. Needless, to say, having one is a must.

But as a business, how do you stand out in a crowd? Or in the battle for relevance, what are the things you need to do to make your websites effective? Well, if you don’t know what makes a website stunning, here are some key metrics to help you. Looking at these metrics will tell you that a website is not any different from a brick-and-mortar. It’s meant to convert visitors into patrons.

Now, if you’re sitting on the fence, not knowing where to start, here’s an expert’s take. It should help get your business off the ground despite the virus.

Clarity of Purpose

No doubt, every business is unique. And to stand heads above the competition is a must if you’re to thrive in these challenging times. That’s the reason why you need to get back to the drawing board and reflect on your vision.

Ask yourself a simple question: What makes you a unique business to help customers? In short, know your unique selling proposition, that makes you stand out.

Then, incorporate your uniqueness into your website. You should not be wearing someone else’s personality, though you can study the best. Your website should reflect this personality in the layout, in the text, and the colors you use across the pages. In the process, your unique personality should help you stand out in your industry.

Greater Functionality

It may sound daunting to know how to put two-and-two together to make an effective business website. But you’ll drop a lot of weight off your shoulder if you think from the side of the customer. What does your customer want?

For starters, your website should load as fast as possible. In the era where speed is defined in microseconds, delays in your loading can cost you potential customers. As Neil Patel, a leading online marketing think tank details every second loading delay means more page abandonment.

To this end, you can work to unburden your website with tons of heavy graphics for one. Indeed, you can cache, compress and optimize your web for faster loading.

However take note. A key factor you shouldn’t forget to consider is your business web hosting services. A top-notch host is critical in website loading. You may optimize your website but bottlenecks in your host servers will negatively impact you. Reason enough why choosing a reliable web host, one that will give you the speed you need, is a must.

Additionally, you should ensure you have relevant content on your website. The need for educational content is high in the time of the pandemic. Making your content relevant to these needs is a good first step in showing your audience that you really care for them. In preparation for the buy.

In this regard, make the most of the tools for generating leads. For instance, a top-of-the-line high-value content e-book can be a great come-on tool. You can use such hooks to ensure your readers become business prospects. When valuable insights are available, people become more than willing to part with their basic contact information. In the process, they increase your lead.

To this end, you must ensure that your site can close the deal. Create clearly visible calls to action. If you don’t have these, you’re actually defeating the purpose of the website. To guide your site visitors to a CTA, employ descriptive buttons that stand out. Make sure your offer strategy leads to these easily-seen bright buttons.

Easy Access

Take note also that you need to make your website mobile-friendly. As more people access the internet due to the lockdown and stay-at-home orders, the use of mobile devices has increased. Everyone wants a piece of the internet now that entertainment outside the house is basically at a halt.

Plus, you yourself will love a website that is easy to navigate. The thought processes are well organized and navigation is well-cut. For one, navigation menus should be uncluttered. Then again, you should base your site architecture and content with your audience. You don’t want to have a messy millennial-looking site for a professional business audience.

Last but not least, make sure your website can be found. This means you have to factor SEO right from the onset. When the world finds out what a treasure your website is, people will come in droves in no time at all.