In our increasingly digital world, businesses must leverage emerging technologies to remain relevant and competitive. As more people conduct business online and browse the internet on their mobile devices rather than desktop computers, websites must adapt to meet users’ evolving needs. Websites that are slow, have frequent glitches, or are difficult to use drive visitors away rather than drawing them in. Fortunately, there are numerous solutions for businesses looking to improve their website’s performance and user experience. LucidByte Technologies is a leading digital solutions agency that specializes in website design, development and optimization. We work with small businesses as well as big corporations such as Samsung, Lexus, Nordstrom and many other Fortune 500 companies across North America.
Why is Website Performance So Important?
The Internet plays an increasingly central role in the way we do business today. All companies, regardless of their industry, must have an online presence — but that presence needs to be more than a simple website. It must be an effective website that generates leads and closes sales. If a company’s website is difficult to use, cluttered, or slow (or all of these), it can hurt sales, lead to a loss of potential clients, and drive customers to your competitors. A website’s performance has a direct impact on a company’s bottom line. For example, if your website takes five seconds to load, you are losing 85% of your potential customers. If it takes 15 seconds to load, you are losing 97%! However, most website owners do not know this. According to a survey of website owners, only 24% know that their site is too slow. You must keep these statistics in mind when designing and optimizing your website.
Website Optimization: An Introduction
Your website is the single most important marketing tool you have at your disposal. It is your virtual storefront, your landing page and your brochure all rolled into one. Unfortunately, not all websites are built equally. Depending on a variety of factors, some businesses struggle to draw in even the most easily persuaded customers. When a potential customer comes across your website, what’s the first thing that jumps out at them? Is it a bold headline? A beautiful photo? Perhaps it is a prominent call-to-action encouraging them to click “buy now.” The problem is, not everyone sees what you want them to see. Someone who is looking for a beautiful landscape photo isn’t necessarily going to click “buy now.” The design of your website affects how your potential customers see your business, so if it’s not optimized it could be costing you business.
Responsive Web Design
A responsive website allows you to provide a seamless user experience regardless of the device type or screen size being used. This means that if a customer is viewing your website on a computer, a tablet or a smartphone, they will see the same content. A responsive website adapts to the device being used and the screen size. This allows the user to have a much more positive browsing experience. Not only that, but a responsive website also has SEO benefits. Google has long rewarded websites that are mobile-friendly. By creating a responsive website, you’ll make sure that it is optimized for these devices and brings in more traffic.
SEO copywriting and SEO blogging
Your content is the lifeblood of your website. It is what draws in potential customers, educates them and holds them there until they make a purchase. While you want your content to be engaging and useful, it also must be optimized. Whether you are writing a blog post or putting together a product description, you must follow specific SEO guidelines in order to appear at the top of search engine results. If you have ever Googled a product or service, only to click back to the search results multiple times because the top listings are too generic or poorly written, you know how frustrating it can be to not find what you are looking for. This is why optimizing your content is so important.
Digital marketing
There are many facets of digital marketing that a business can incorporate into its marketing strategy. Some of the most common are email marketing, search engine optimization, content marketing, and social media marketing. A website is the central hub for all of these activities. If a potential customer visits your website and finds that it is not optimized for their device or is too difficult to navigate, they are unlikely to stick around. In fact, they may not visit your website at all, instead turning to a competitor with a more streamlined digital marketing campaign.
Conclusion
A slow website not only frustrates visitors, but it also sends a message that your business is unprofessional. Investing in website optimization is an essential part of digital marketing strategy that will generate significant ROI with relatively low upfront costs. There are many solutions to choose from when it comes to website optimization, and each has its strengths and weaknesses. At LucidByte, we have years of experience in delivering website optimization solutions that meet our clients’ unique needs. From website design to development and SEO, we work closely with our clients to ensure that their websites meet their business goals and exceed their expectations.