For any business it’s incredibly important to get the basic attributes of your website correctly situated. As your website is where your audience really gets a good taste of your company and your products, understanding the psychology behind what consumers expect to get from your website is key to the site’s success.
Table of Contents
Main Content
The user should ideally be able to understand the basic function of each web page within the first few seconds of accessing it. By placing the main body of the page front and centre, users should be able to quickly understand what the website is trying to deliver.
For example, the ‘about’ page on the stationary website Thimblepress situates its main text and picture clearly for the user to understand the features of the company without having to navigate past unnecessary features and distracting advertisements.
Supplementary Content
Once the audience has reached your website, it’s important that they should be able to navigate around the site easily through handy supplementary content in the form of tabs and links that are usually located around the edge of the screen. The organic food site Gousto provides a great example of a page that allows the user easy navigational access to a range of information regarding the company and the services it provides.
However, it’s always a good idea to include a sleek and minimal navigation bar at the top of the page as shown on the Uptown Aces website that allows the user to access the range of casino games and exclusive promotions without having to scroll down the page.
Contact Details
As you are running a business that deals with financial transactions, it’s incredibly important to feature some contact information to ensure that customers know that you are legitimate.
For example, the clothing retailer Needs Supply have an actual physical address that is easily found on the bottom of the homepage. The use of a physical location adds a subtle but powerful sense of trust in the brand that is key in today’s somewhat risky world of online shopping.
It’s also a good idea to include a contact tab in any navigational section so that should an issue arise, then the customer will quickly and easily be able to find the relevant customer service information.
Maintenance
Unfortunately, many websites on the internet are either not updated very often, or have been abandoned. This is why it’s always a good idea to have fresh content on the front page of your site.
By including new products, or promotions with the date included, it’s a good way to add to the impression of the site being relevant to today. This doesn’t have to be overly complicated, as shown by the Australian interior design retailer Art Hide who simply use a copyright logo with this year’s date at the bottom of the page to signify that the site is well-maintained.