If you have not utilized Google Analytics to gauge how well your website is doing, you should. Among the many things, you can learn from delving into your site’s analytics is your bounce rate. What is a bounce rate you ask? Your bounce rate refers to the amount of time visitors are spending on your site before leaving ( bouncing).  If your bounce rate is high, it means that your website is not capturing the interests of your visitors. Which in turn affects your bottom line. So, how do you decrease your website’s bounce rate?

1. Ensure your homepage is relevant to the visitor

First impressions matter and when visitors first arrive at your site they need to be impressed. It is vital that your homepage gives your visitors a sense of who you are and what products/services you provide at a glance. If your visitors can not understand those basic facts they will bounce immediately.

2. Carefully consider your user’s experience

A hard to navigate website with badly written content and too many irrelevant images contribute to a website that is too difficult to use. Users must be able to easily find what they are looking for and get the information they need in one click.

3. Understand what the optimal bounce rate should be

While a standard bounce rate of 20 percent or less is typically optimal, it can vary according to the type of site as well as historical performance. A bounce rate of 20 percent is great for a retail or service site, but it can be higher for blogs, landing pages, and content websites.

4. Improve your keywords

If the landing page looks great, it could be the keywords that are off. Use keywords that deliver high-quality leads and traffic, rather than generic keywords that send poor traffic. Not sure which keywords are the most relevant? Hire a professional SEO expert to help define a strategy.

5. Is the page optimized for mobile devices?

Given that more consumers than ever are utilizing mobile devices to browse the Internet, it only makes sense to have your website to be mobile responsive. If a visitor arrives at a page that isn’t, you can pretty much bet they will be leaving.

6. Is there a call to action on your page?

Sometimes visitors need a little push to keep browsing, and a call to action is the way to do it. Let them know what they stand to gain by following the link, and you’ll improve conversion rates while reducing bounce rates.

If 2016 saw the rise of user experience design innovation, 2017 looks to be the year of AI, mobile, and storytelling. For small businesses that provide products and services to local markets, staying on top of the same trends as the “big guys” is crucial to creating a website that engages and impresses audiences. Your website serves both as a first impression for prospective clients and as a springboard for future marketing campaigns.

If you want to stay current on all things web design, here are the top trends to look for and incorporate into your brand’s website in 2017.

AI Bots

Artificial intelligence will be the big game changer this year, with chatbots dominating mobile and web app development. While they don’t necessarily have a big visual impact on your website design, bots will allow you to better distribute content, answer customer questions through apps like WhatsApp and Facebook, and ease navigation.

Increased Adoption of Mobile Needs

In the U.S., over 30 million mobile users are mobile-only users. If the current trend continues as expected, eventually the entire internet focus will be transferred from desktop to mobile. In 2017, look for websites to be more mobile accessible than ever, with designs that make it easier to quickly find the solution the reader is looking for.

Motion User Interface

There will be an increase in motion and animation capabilities in website design that goes beyond mere videos. Web sites will benefit from fluid motion animations across their pages that showcase their products and services in an innovative and eye-catching way.

Redesigned Landing Pages

Live chat will still be popular, but less intrusive, with fewer pop-ups covering the screen a lead is trying to read. Online forms will be pared down to capture only the minimal amount of information required, and customer reviews will be used throughout a site, not only on testimonial pages. Text paragraphs will get shorter, with the goal of making valuable content quick and easy to read.

Storytelling

Web sites that tell great stories using great content and compelling visuals emotionally resonate with audiences. Small businesses can accomplish a successful storytelling strategy by highlighting their products and services in a way that the reader personally identifies with.

If there is a common theme that runs through this year’s trends in small business web design, it is this: increased user interaction. Whether it’s pop-ups, graphic CTAs, or social media integration, promoting interaction will generate more leads and help you better stay in touch with your customers. Trends will always continue to change, but the goal of your small business web design should be providing value to your customers. Regardless of the products and/or services you offer, follow these trending practices to build customer engagement and grow your business online.

Ready to blow your competition out of the water? Contact our experts today.

How would you guess your future customers are evaluating your company’s credibility? Word of mouth? Online reviews? Advertising?

According to a Stanford study, 75% of users make decisions about a company’s credibility based on their website design.

In other words, if you have no website presence or even if you have a poorly designed website, you’re already behind the competition.

You might be thinking, “Well why is a yellow page listing or Facebook page not enough?”. Although a website requires time, patience, and money, it’s essential for any business. You must have a website to be taken seriously. Here’s why:

1.Stay Current

Say you’re in a prehistoric age where you sell stone bowls and your competitor sells bronze bowls. Stone bowls have been around for a while but bronze bowls are a novelty. Where will your customer go? If your competitor has the latest product or service available, they have the edge. In business, you have to stay current and on top of the game. What if your competitor doesn’t offer online shopping? You swoop in and start an e-commerce site. Staying one step ahead of the competition has its benefits, and sometimes all it takes is to have a website.

2. Build Credibility

Put yourself in a potential customer’s shoes. You’re looking for a company to fulfill a need. You find some yelp reviews, an unattended Facebook page, and no website. Are you likely to dismiss the company as lacking credibility? Probably and so do many others. More than half of your customers judge you for simply not having a website.

3. Provide Instant Information

Instant knowledge isn’t just an attribute of millennials; it’s something we’ve all grown accustomed to. We’re constantly on our smartphones. In fact, any wi-fi enabled tool is a research tool. Approximately 78% of Internet users conduct product research online. A website provides instant information to those who you’re trying to reach.

4. Put Sales on Auto-Pilot

A website can also function as a 24.7 lead generation machine. It can even serve as a powerful salesperson. Through a website lead generation and lead nurturing, you can send custom gentle reminders about your service or product to drive engagement and sales.

That’s just advantage number one. In general, “more than half of all mobile searches lead to a purchase, and 78% of mobile searches for local business information result in a purchase.”

5. Show Off Your Brand Quality

Simply stated, a website is the extension of your brand. Your website reinforces everything your brand stands for. It explains what your brand is about, what it does, what it represents.  If you have a quality website, your customers will perceive your brand as a quality brand. How much influence does a professionally designed website have on your customer during the decision making process to use a local business? A whopping 68%. It may be better to have no website at all than to showcase a poorly-designed website. But if you got it, flaunt it.

6. Get Found

Search is the number one source of external traffic for content sites. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a key driver of site traffic. When you Google a topic (e.g. Why You Need a Business Website) your search terms are keywords. Quality websites optimize their content and copy to contain those keywords that match your search query. Of course, in order for this to work you’ll need a website to optimize. The same mechanism applies when people look up products and solutions your company offers.

Check out our blog on SEO here to to learn more about it.

7. Reach a Larger Audience

Word of mouth and referrals are great way to get new customers and one of the oldest forms of marketing out there. Unfortunately, not all your customers are connected to other potential clients. That’s why you need a website.

Almost half of small businesses with an online presence generate over 25% of the revenue online. Without a website your business is missing out on its share of online revenue. Customers are researching products online before making a move, 81% to be exact.

Not having a website will negatively affect your business by diminishing your credibility and reducing opportunities with potential customers. Did you know 67% of businesses are using their website to market to customers? We’re surprised this number isn’t higher. You’ve worked so hard to build you brand. Now it’s time to go get a digital space for your company to show off your expertise and professionalism.

Want an award-winning website that generates leads and drives sales 24/7? Let’s get you started. Our team of UX designers and digital strategists will focus on creating a great website experience, so you can focus on doing what you do best – running your business. Take a moment to see how we do it.

For the month of August only, we’re offering a full-year, 0% interest pay plan on all new websites and redesigns. Contact us now and mention this blog to get started.