When it comes to designing a website, it can be difficult to determine which methods and features will and will not be effective at attracting a broader audience. However, there are a few basic features that make up any great website, and before you invest in any type of web design campaign, it’s important to prioritize the right features. Here are three of the most important features of any great website.
 
Usability
When considering what makes a great website, user-friendliness is absolutely critical. If users can’t find what they’re looking for in a very short period of time, they’re more than likely to get frustrated and take their search elsewhere. In fact, experts say you have about 10 seconds to leave an impression and tell consumers what they’ll get out of your website and company. After this time (and oftentimes before), they’ll leave. Readable and easily-navigated menus are the best way to help potential customers find what they need.
 
Within the realm of user-friendliness lies mobile-friendliness: about 48% of users say that if they arrive on a business site that isn’t working well on mobile, they take it as an indication of the business simply not caring, so if you can optimize the essential pages of your business’ website for mobile usage, you’re already a step ahead of the game.
 
Design
A website’s design is also a major factor when determining what makes a great website. Nobody wants to read boring black text on a white background knowing that these businesses have the utmost creative freedom to customize their website however they please. A website’s design includes the incorporation of high quality photography and multimedia elements, and while you don’t want to get carried away to the point where your website becomes difficult to navigate or takes too long to load, a little bit of visual appeal goes a long way in keeping potential customers on your site.
 
Content
Content marketing through blogging is definitely one of the best search engine optimization methods, but not many people realize that engaging content affects much more than the way Google’s ever-changing algorithms rank your site. Consistently publishing quality content on your website using the right keywords is sure to engage readers while boosting your site’s Google rankings — it’s a win-win.
 
Ultimately, taking these three major elements into consideration when redesigning a website will leave you with more visitors and maximization of revenue.