What Do People Really Want
from Your Website?
This question has plagued business owners since dial-up connections, and colorful floppy disks.
However, the good news is we have found the answer to this digital conundrum.
The reality of it is, people want a site that works for them!
By “works” we mean a site that loads in seconds, looks great and delivers the information they need.
Easy right?
Absolutely not!
As the internet changes and the way we access the internet changes, visitors want…no visitors expect your site to change with it.
For starters, people want uncluttered speed.
They want to be able to navigate throughout your site and have a clear idea of what it is you offer and what you expect them to do with what you offer.
As time progresses and internet speeds increase, our attention span decreases because we want what we want, and we want it instantly.
It is important to make sure that your site, whether you are a mom & pop shop, or a huge corporation, gives people that experience.
This means you should have a site that is easy to navigate on all platforms and functions well across all platforms.
Depending on your industry type, visitors will have varying expectations in terms of the appropriate amount of text content versus images versus other forms of media.
As a business owner, it is your job to study your audience to determine what they are most likely to respond to.
Next up, people like personality. They like pizzazz!
People want to know that if they do business with you, they’re working with the best in the industry and they can trust you as a brand. This means your site needs to display your brand’s personality. It needs to not only sell products, but it needs to sell your brand.
Make sure that whatever your branding is, it remains consistent throughout your website. This will help build brand familiarity and credibility.
At the same time, website visitors want a trustworthy site!
They don’t want to be bombarded with special offers that alert them every 5 seconds. This is a sure fire way to agitate your consumers and rush them off of your site well before they’ve even read the first line.
You want to reduce the number of distractions on your site. The goal is to lead people through a specific process, not throw everything you have at them and hope something sticks.
Nine times out of ten your website visitors know what they want and why they are on your page. There is no need to offer them 20% off, ask for a newsletter sign up, suggest they read your blog and then ask them to follow you on facebook all within 30 seconds of them landing on your site.
They aren’t there for that.
This makes your website look more like a community bulletin board than a dedicated space for a brand.
All in all, people simply want a site that works. They want a website that gives them what they came for, looks good while doing it, and gives them room to roam.
Remember, the internet is constantly changing, so will the wants of your audience. It is important to conduct ongoing research and monitor your website’s data. This will help ensure that your site is giving both you and your visitors what they want.
If you find that people aren’t spending very much time on your site, or you aren’t getting the results you want, it may be time to revisit your website and make some adjustments.
It doesn’t hurt to actually ask your audience what they want either.
However you choose to initiate this change, the important part is that you start!
