The new minimum criteria for a website in 2021
Building a website is a little bit like building a house - there are a million different options and combinations to consider and it’s easy to get caught up in all of the extra features and finishes. Of course reality sets in when comparing your budget to the cost of a dream project, and so it’s vital to have a realistic sense of what you need.
- Not what the neighbours have.
- Not what is on the cover of a magazine.
- What you need.
And so it is with website construction. Business owners need to assess their needs when choosing which features are on the must-have list in order to best serve their clients.
- Not what your competitors have.
- Not what’s featured on the latest tech podcast.
- What you need.
Here’s our top 3 must-have items for a website to have this year as you continue to run your business amidst a worldwide pandemic which will forever change the spending and communication habits of your clientele.
The new minimum criteria for a website in 2021:
Mobile Friendly
Gone are the days of assuming that most of your clients are visiting your website from a laptop or desktop computer. It is now essential for websites to be “responsive” or “adaptive” to all sizes of screens including mobile phones, tablets, and even large screen televisions as users are changing their modalities and daily habits.
At YannickWeb, we offer adaptive site design so that the appearance of your site will adjust itself to various devices your customers use and the direction that they’re holding it. Afterall, there’s nothing more frustrating than trying to search for something on-the-go that is still being presented as if you were on a 15 inch monitor.
Your clients will equate a smooth user experience on your website with smooth customer service from your business. Don’t lose out on leads and sales because people leave your website before they even know what you’re all about. Make sure your website is designed to be responsive.
eCommerce
Businesses who have been able to offer curb-side pick-up or delivery throughout the public health restrictions and provincial lockdowns due to COVID-19 are, no doubt, in better shape than those who have had to lock their doors and lay-off employees.
Listing and selling products and services online is becoming more and more essential for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) who would otherwise think that their clients would not need or want to use their online store.
While responding to individual email or phone requests and mailing out purchases one at a time might be a quick band-aid fix to keep your business from drowning at the moment, a scalable and reliable eCommerce solution is soon going to be a necessity for many businesses and niches.
The team at YannickWeb can guide you through all of the steps in deciding what type of eCommerce your business needs so that you can give your clients what they want. The process is quite complex and we’re experts at nailing exactly what you need in terms of inventory photos and descriptions to transaction processes to shipping and everything in between.
Chat tools and Contact forms
No matter how responsive your website is, and how slick your eCommerce runs, the ability to answer questions from your customers quickly and directly will never go out of style. “How can I help you” will continue to be an important way of showing your customers that you are there for them and that you care.
Having a built in chat tool and/or fillable contact forms is another essential item to include in your website design for 2021. There are numerous options to choose from, all with a different look and feel.
By talking with our team and identifying what type of inquiries you most commonly receive and how quickly your clients want to hear back from you, we’ll be able to build a customized tool for your website so that your customers always feel like you’re just a click away, even if you’re not.
Take the first step
If you know that you want to grow your business in 2021 but aren’t sure exactly what strategy or tactics make the most sense for you, take the first step : call us! YannickWeb is happy to listen to you and help you identify how you can better serve your clients through your website and other digital assets.
The 3 website criteria we listed in this article are just a sample of the services we offer to help you be more accessible to your customers online.
We do what we do so that you can do more of what you do. Give us a call today!
