Building an effective website is about more than just making it look pretty.

In the past, building an effective website took enormous feats of willpower, money, and frustration. If you weren’t a coding guru, your website might be passable… at best.

Recently, there’s been a surge in better looking themes that are easier to customize and set up, which means there’s also been a surge in DIY sites.

Building a DIY website can seem like an attractive option for many reasons, but is it really worth it?

Before you decide to spend time figuring out how to install a text box or how to place a widget in your side bar, let’s breakdown what makes a website ineffective and effective.

What is the purpose of your site?

Websites serve a number of purposes:

  • Build brand awareness
  • Display a portfolio or work
  • Sell products and services

The list goes on, depending on your overall business goals.

No matter what your business is or does, wouldn’t it be great if your website generated qualified leads to be converted into buyers?

Instead of focusing on having a website with just an awesome design, think about how you want your site to function over all.

What can an effective website do for you?

First, let’s establish the difference between an ineffective site and an effective site.

Ineffective Website:

  • Spelling errors
  • Buttons that don’t work
  • Poor images and graphics
  • No calls to action
  • No contact information
  • No optimization

Effective Website:

  • Compelling content
  • Specific calls to actions
  • Contact information
  • Mobile friendly
  • Consistent color scheme
  • Fast load times
  • Usable forms
  • Strategic messages
  • Landing pages
  • Branding elements
  • Quality images
  • User-designed navigation
  • Visual hierarchy
  • White space
  • Purposeful graphics
  • Backlinks
  • Keywords
  • Meta descriptions
  • Meta tags

That list could just keep going on and on and on, but you get the picture. An effective website isn’t just a pretty one. A lot of work and time goes into creating an effective website.

What does an effective website do for your business?

Okay, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. A truly effective website brings in qualified leads that you can then build a relationship with and transition into paying customers.

…And you can’t nurture a lead unless you have your ideal customer’s information.

…And you can’t get your ideal customer’s information, if you don’t have a form.

…And you can’t lead a customer to a form without a CTA.

…And you can’t use any of this effectively without a well-researched and planned strategy.

So what makes an effective website tick?

The short answer is: everything. Every little part that we mentioned in the list above (and all of the things we didn’t) make your website effective.

Just like with a working engine, your website can’t function effectively without all of the right parts. If you take the cylinders out of the an engine, it won’t run. If you have a slow loading website, visitors won’t wait around for it to load.

And all those individual components  need to be of the highest quality for the best and most effective site.

Making your website work for you.

Ultimately, an effective website has one goal: to get you the leads you need to make a sale. It should be your hardest working sales person. It doesn’t sleep. Doesn’t eat. It’s always on the clock.

You use the best strategies, like social media marketing to drive potential customers to your site. Your site should work to walk them through your sales funnel and every component helps do that.

High quality images draw visitors in.

Compelling content keeps visitors engaged and focused.

Calls to action drive visitors to landing pages or contact forms.

Contact forms collect information.

If those leads aren’t rolling in, then there might be a hole in your sales funnel somewhere. An effective website design will point visitors exactly where you want them to go so that you can nurture leads into becoming customers.

Are you ready to make your website your hardest working salesperson? Ready to start seeing some real ROI from your site? You need a strategic marketing team that can help you create an effective website that captures leads and gets your message across.

START A PROJECT