9 Things Websites Must Do to Attract Customers

Key takeaways:

Ever felt like your business website is just sitting there, not doing much? You’re not alone. Many business owners struggle to turn their online presence into a customer magnet. It’s frustrating when you’ve invested time and money into a website, only to see minimal results.

But here’s the thing: a successful business website isn’t just about looking pretty. It’s about strategically crafting an online experience that speaks directly to your target audience and guides them towards taking action.

In this article, we’ll explore the must-have elements that can transform your website from a digital brochure into a powerful customer attraction tool.

You only get one chance to make a first impression. And on the internet, that chance lasts about 50 milliseconds.

That’s right, visitors form an opinion about your website in less than a second.

So how do you make those milliseconds count? It all starts with a clear, compelling value proposition front and center on your homepage.

Your value proposition should quickly communicate:

Here’s an example of a strong, concise value proposition:

“Handcrafted furniture that brings warmth and character to your home, delivered in 2 weeks or less.”

Notice how it hits the key points – what they offer (handcrafted furniture), the benefit (warmth and character), and a unique selling point (fast delivery).

In 2024, having a mobile-friendly website isn’t just nice to have – it’s essential.

Over 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. If your site doesn’t work well on smartphones, you’re potentially losing more than half of your visitors.

But what does “mobile-friendly” really mean?

It’s not just about your site being viewable on a small screen. A truly mobile-friendly site is designed with mobile users in mind from the ground up.

This means:

As a WordPress enthusiast, I always recommend using responsive themes that automatically adjust to different screen sizes. The built-in Gutenberg editor makes it easy to create mobile-friendly layouts without relying on clunky page builders.

A beautiful website is great, but if it’s not driving results, it’s not doing its job.

That’s where strategic calls-to-action (CTAs) come in.

CTAs are the signposts that guide your visitors towards taking the next step – whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting a quote.

Effective CTAs are:

Instead of a generic “Contact Us” button, try something more compelling like “Get Your Free Quote Today” or “Start Your 14-Day Trial”.

And don’t be afraid to use CTAs multiple times on a page. Just make sure they’re relevant to the surrounding content.

In our fast-paced world, nobody likes to wait.

A slow-loading website is a surefire way to send potential customers running for the hills (or your competitors).

Research shows that 53% of mobile users will leave a page that takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

Yikes.

So how can you speed things up?

As someone who loves simplicity in website management, I always advise clients to keep things lean. Do you really need that fancy animation plugin? Probably not.

Content is king, but only if it’s the right content.

Your website should speak directly to your target audience, addressing their needs, pain points, and desires.

This means:

Remember, you’re not writing for search engines (though SEO is important). You’re writing for real people.

Share your expertise, tell your story, and show how you can solve your customers’ problems.

In the digital world, trust is currency.

Without the ability to shake hands or see a physical storefront, potential customers need other ways to verify your credibility.

Some trust-building elements to include:

Don’t be shy about showcasing your successes. Let your happy customers do the talking for you.

Nothing frustrates a potential customer more than not being able to find contact information when they need it.

Make it easy for people to reach you by:

Remember, every barrier to contact is a potential lost customer.

We’re social creatures. We look to others to guide our decisions.

That’s why social proof is so powerful on business websites.

Social proof can take many forms:

Here’s an example of how you might display social proof:

<div class="social-proof">
  <h3>Trusted by over 10,000 happy customers</h3>
  <img src="client-logos.png" alt="Logos of major clients">
  <p>"The best service we've ever used!" - Jane Doe, CEO of Acme Corp</p>
</div>

In an age of data breaches and online scams, security isn’t just nice to have – it’s essential.

At a minimum, your site should have an SSL certificate (https://).

This not only protects your visitors’ data but also boosts your search engine rankings.

Other security measures to consider:

As someone who primarily uses WordPress, I always recommend keeping core files, themes, and plugins up to date. It’s an easy way to patch security vulnerabilities.

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

Setting up analytics on your site gives you valuable insights into:

Google Analytics is free and powerful, but there are other options if you’re concerned about data privacy.

Use this data to continually refine and improve your site. It’s an ongoing process, not a one-time task.