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How to meet the needs of potential website visitors

People are spending more and more time online. In today’s marketing environment, any website has become a more powerful tool than ever before. As a 24/7 marketing tool, a company’s website can become the centrepiece of your marketing efforts.

Why do people visit websites today?

1.We want to know

All of us at some point have decided to look into a topic we knew nothing about and have scoured the web for information to benefit ourselves.

We might be watching a TV show on Hulu or Netflix and not know what a reference means, so we Google it and read about it. Or perhaps we want to know more about political events or developments in the COVID-19 pandemic. On the web, we can learn new information and learn at our own pace.

Valuable content

Most brands today already invest in robust content marketing programmes to keep existing customers informed about product news, company initiatives and industry trends. But high-quality blog and video content is an equally reliable way to attract new customers and meet the needs of potential website visitors. Creating an ongoing series of content specifically aimed at educating a new audience – in the form of blogs, videos, or webinars – will help you convince your audience that your website is worth revisiting.

Valuable content will always be one of your strongest sales tools. If you create an ongoing series of content that shares your brand story and informs your customers about the value of your product or service, then visitors of your website will be interested in coming back to learn and find out more.

2. We want to buy

With the COVID-19 restrictions, e-commerce became the best and safest way for us to make purchases. Nowadays, you can buy almost anything online.

Clear calls to action

Your customers are already used to following visual cues to determine what content is important to them. Clear calls to action (CTAs) marked with a verb make it easier for your website users to navigate your site and get exactly what they want, where they expect to find it.

When designing buttons for your website, you need to think about colour and their psychology. A study by Maxymiser found that using the right colour variations and action messages led to an 11% increase in clicks to specific sites. Different colours evoke different emotions and are associated with different messages.

The other thing to consider is the words you use for the buttons. The words should include a verb that prompts the user to do something. Choosing the right words or psychological triggers is largely determined by the level of emotional identification that the word evokes. If there is no emotional connection, there is no action. So, make bold, time- and action-oriented words.

3. We want to be entertained

Online entertainment has never been more convenient and accessible. For many people, it is the main reason they pick up the phone or turn on the computer.

Optimise page speed

One of the most frustrating experiences for web users is taking too long to load a page. With the expansion of mobile devices, people are accessing content all over the world on different platforms, so they expect fast results to get the content they want.

If they don’t get it, they usually leave the site and look elsewhere. Slow page loads are disruptive to potential users and their needs.

4. We need information

We no longer must search hard to get the information we need because everything is easily accessible online. Whether it is navigating, finding that recipe for the family dinner or finding out the latest fashion trends, information is now available in seconds.

A powerful landing page

Landing pages are the next aspect of a website that users judge. Landing pages are successful if they are relevant to the visitor’s needs and entice them to explore the site further.

Remember that you have a very short window of time in which to make an impression on your landing page, so don’t waste it with failed creative decisions, confusing calls to action or inconsistent messaging.

5. We want to be inspired

There are plenty of opportunities to be inspired in real life, but online inspiration is endless.

Use images

People all over the internet are getting smarter and quicker to evaluate a company’s website before deciding whether they want to browse further. Using stock photos can undermine users’ trust in a company and can make a brand seem generic and not unique.

The content and visuals you use on your website are the elements that inspire people and keep them interested in staying and exploring further.

6. We want to stay in touch

We want to be in touch not only with people we know, but also with people we don’t – with communities, movements, news, and the world at large.

Include well-crafted headlines

Your headlines and content should be based on what your potential customers are looking for. It is also very important to include keywords in your headline to target your message and attract the right audience.

But more importantly, headlines help the user navigate the site, making it easier to scan and find content that speaks directly to them, which is generally a way to meet the needs of potential site visitors.

7. We want to feel united

For many of us, the internet is the only way to keep in touch with a few friends and family members, as well as an opportunity to meet new people.

Make your website more user-friendly

Take the time to ask your regular visitors what they would like to see on your website. By getting information directly from your target audience, you will be able to discover missing elements that you might not have noticed yourself. Users often know exactly what they don’t like about a website. Your job is to take these comments and turn them into a positive user experience by fixing any features visitors don’t like.

By putting the user at the centre of your design and content, your website will automatically become more user-friendly!

8. We are just bored

Countless hours are spent on the internet just because people are bored. Our phones, tablets and laptops are always available to satisfy this need for entertainment.

Make your website more social

It is not enough to create great content and hope people will find it – you need to be active. One of the best ways to increase the number of visitors to your website is to use social media channels to promote your content. If you are a B2C product company, you might find great engagement through social sites that have lots of images, like Pinterest and Instagram. Visuals will always encourage people to spend longer periods of time on a particular site or social platform.

In conclusion

It is good to step back for a moment and really understand why people visit your business website and how you can meet the needs of potential visitors. Keep these tips in mind when thinking about your existing as well as potential website users, as taking these details into account will surely bear fruit.