Ensure your website becomes a strong selling point for the brand

1.Use SEO and keyword research

Make sure your URL name matches your business name or describes your services and products. If your customers enter your business name, your website should be the first result. Also, use search engine optimisation (SEO), keyword research, content marketing and paid advertising to drive traffic to your site. “When your customers search for products or services, and you’ve optimised those keywords, they will end up on your site,” Gullan explains.

2.Make it easy to navigate

Don’t overwhelm customers with too much information. “Clearly label pages and tabs and only include relevant and necessary information on those pages,” she advises. Include buttons or links with descriptive copy that guides customers along their journey. Don’t clutter pages with widgets that won’t enhance the customer’s experience.

3.Use customer-oriented copy

Add content from a customer’s viewpoint and ensure it adds value and builds their trust in your brand. When they find value in your content, they’ll stay on your site for longer.

4.Mobile first

Most Africans access the internet from their mobile phones. Ensure your website is easy to view and navigate from a phone, or your potential customers will bounce and end up at your competitors’ sites. “A negative user experience can affect your site’s search engine rankings, pushing your brand down the Google results page and out of customers’ minds,” Gullan adds.

5.Speed matters

If your site loads too slowly, users will leave and are unlikely to return. Keep the software up to date and optimise all visual elements for quicker downloads. What’s more, research shows that the amount of time it takes a page to load affects the purchase decisions of almost 70% of online shoppers. “Customers want their online shopping to be easier than going into a store, so make the integration between shopping and payment seamless,” Gullan says.