Keys To Launching A Great Website
“Websites play a significant role in building and strengthening brands…your website is a powerful opportunity to position your company for success.”
We could not agree more with this statement from a whitepaper recently shared by DotNetNuke Software. According to research from Stanford University, 75% of Internet users judge a company’s credibility based on its website design. Imagine the buying opportunities you could be missing without a well-designed site!
Tips & Tricks
- An overall appealing look to your site is important, but one thing to keep in mind is that every design element on your website should reinforce your website’s main goal. This means using images, colors, and other components that align with your dealership’s brand personality and promote your inventory.
- A current trend in web design is using very large images – think an image that takes up the entire background of the homepage. This grabs attention and quickly communicates the purpose of the website.
- Another tip is to provide some device to gather visitor information on each page within your website. These are buttons like “Contact Us,” sign-up forms, and more.
- When a site is re-launched, it is best practice to include some design elements from your previous site for familiarity. While you want to deliver fresh ideas and update your look, you also want current customers to recognize you!
Dealer Spike’s designers work one-on-one with you to discuss the look you want for your website, and also bring their ideas to the table as graphic design experts.
Entrepreneur.com has found that the average first time website visitor makes his or her judgment about a website after 2/10ths of a second. Don’t lose customers and sales due to poor web design!
Site Functionality
As digital marketers, we know that your website’s success goes beyond looks. In today’s world, Internet users also demand a high level of usability when visiting websites. The quality of content and ease of navigation on your site play a hugely important role, so functionality is not something to overlook.
The production team at Dealer Spike makes this easy for you. The following requirements are listed as vital QA process items to check off before launching a site:
- All web forms must work correctly – hugely important for your marketing automation platforms that can generate leads for your dealership.
- Page URLs should be examined to make sure they all navigate to the correct destinations.
- Browser compatibility tests for your site.
- Tests on your site’s standard speed and load times.
- Quality of your images, examined for correct resolution on all browsers.
- It is best practice to “stress-test” your site, or make sure that the web server performs well under both normal and excessive load times.
- Last but not least, your analytics tool must be properly activated in order to measure website traffic and collect data from online visitors.
Multiple contributors at Dealer Spike produce, edit, and organize your site’s content. Two to three rounds of editing are done by different departments, cross-checking each other’s work, before your website’s launch.
“Consumers have gradually begun to view companies’ online communities as primary sources of information.”
We know this is true – people interact with brands online more than anywhere else. For that reason, a company websites should be a major priority. According to DotNetNuke, an “exceptional” site incorporates modern design trends and backend technologies that promote high functionality. Our team can deliver both of those items and more - call Dealer Spike today and get your new website started!