10 Ways to Make a Website Look Amazing
A beautifully designed and functional website can make or break a business. When it comes to attracting new customers, building trust, and encouraging continued use – a good looking and functional site can do wonders.
A stunning site design that is fully functional and accessible is the best of both worlds. In order to create a stunning site that is fully functional and accessible, you need to consider the following 10 ways to make a website look amazing.
1. Choose a theme for your website
Having a theme for your web page is like having a theme for your wardrobe. It can completely change the vibe of your site and make it more accessible and engaging. Moreover, it can guide the design choices for your site and give it a finished look. Additionally, you can add or remove themes at any time with the click of a button.
When choosing a theme for your website, you need to keep in mind that you are not restricted to a single option. There are many pitfalls that you need to avoid when choosing a theme for your website.
2. Create a user-friendly landing page
Even before you get too far into the process of designing your website, you can start by creating a landing page. A landing page is a web page that you designed to convince a user to subscribe to your newsletter, follow you on social media, or visit your website. It is usually the first page that a user will come across, and it makes a good first impression. Moreover, it is a chance for you to further establish your credibility.
A good landing page will always include essential information, like the name of the website, a prominent call to action (like subscribe to the newsletter or visit the website), and an affiliate link or two. It should also include an audio or video slot to further engage a user.
3. Add an ‘about us’ section
If you are an established business with a growing audience, you can add an ‘about us’ section to your website. An ‘about us’ section on a website is similar to a ‘mission statement’ in a business context. It provides the user with important information that they may not have known existed. Moreover, it shows that you are being transparent about who you are and what you stand for. An ‘about us’ section can include a bio about the team behind the website, industry information, and a link to the website.
Adding an ‘about us’ section is a simple yet effective way to make a website look more professional and established. Moreover, you can use an ‘about us’ section to highlight past work and experience. For example, you can use the section to discuss the various projects that your company has worked on, the services that you offer, and the criteria that you use to determine the success of a project.
4. Add a company blog
A company blog on your website can be an effective way to attract and retain customers. A blog is a collection of articles or posts (i.e. content) that are regularly updated and curated. A company blog can include a variety of content, like tips, how-to’s, product reviews, and event announcements. Moreover, a blog can also be used to highlight the various projects and initiatives that your company is working on.
When adding a blog to your website, make sure to choose a niche that relates to your industry. Moreover, you can use your blog to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. A well-written and appropriately-categorized blog can do wonders for SEO and attract the right type of audience.
5. Keep the content fresh
Even experienced writers can find it tricky to keep articles fresh and interesting. After a while, recycled content begins to lose its charm, and the reader begins to see it as a chore to read through the same old material. In order to keep your content fresh, you should consider editing and optimizing your content for the various search engines.
Apart from editing and optimizing your content, you should also be investing in a content distribution platform (like Scoop.it or HubSpot), where you can quickly publish new content for your various platforms (i.e. website, social media, and email). The distribution platform will ensure that your content is available to your target audience regardless of whether they are on mobile devices or connected to the internet at home. Most importantly, a well-designed and fully-functioning website should never go out of style.
6. Create a FAQ page
An FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page on your website can be a great way to establish your credibility and save time for your readers. An FAQ page can include frequently asked questions (i.e. common queries) about your industry, products, and services. Moreover, it can help users easily find the answers to commonly asked questions. Most importantly, an FAQ page can be a place for you to save commonly asked questions for later reference.
If you are struggling to come up with frequently asked questions, you can use your FAQ page to collect questions that you get from your customers. Moreover, you can use your FAQ page to establish yourself as an expert in your industry. A well-designed and -functioning website can do wonders for SEO, and it can also be the perfect place for frequently asked questions.
7. Integrate your website with social media platforms
Having a separate social media account for your website is commendable, however, it can be quite cumbersome. Why? Because you will be posting different content to different platforms (i.e. Twitter for news, Facebook for product announcements, and so on). In order to keep your content consistent and organized, you can and should integrate your website with social media platforms.
When integrating your website with social media platforms, you need to consider the level of engagement that you want to achieve. Do you just want to notify your social media audience about new content or do you want to encourage them to subscribe to your newsletter or visit your website?
8. Include videos to engage your audience
In an effort to save time and create a more immersive experience for your audience, you can include videos on your website. Videos can be a great way to engage your audience and provide further value. Moreover, videos can also be used to explain key points about your industry, products, and services.
What makes a video interesting and engaging is the fact that it can be used to tell a story, explain a concept, or display technical information. In general, videos should be short and snappy. Moreover, you can use the description of the video to add more value.
9. Use bold text and larger text sizes
In general, text on a website should be neither too small nor too large. Moreover, text should be laid out in a way that is easy to read. When designing your site, you should add text of approximately the same size, and use contrasting colors to make the text pop (i.e. use black text on a white background).
Some sites use large text sizes to create a unique environment, where everything is magnified. If you are looking for an immersive experience, you can use larger text sizes to draw the user’s attention to certain areas of your site.
10. Add a ‘contact us’ page
An ‘about us’ section alone is not enough to build a credible and authoritative website. In order to convince a potential customer to purchase a product or service from your company, you can add a ‘contact us’ page. A contact page is simply a page where potential customers can get in touch with you to learn more about your business or to ask questions.
A contact us page should include an email address, phone number, and an optional physical address. Moreover, you can use your contact page to further establish your credibility and the authority of your website. For example, you can use the page to state that you are a member of certain professional bodies or that you are a previous customer.
Adding a contact us page to your website is a simple yet effective way to make a website look more professional and authoritative.