How to Make Your Website Stand Out

In a virtual world bursting with websites of all types, varieties, looks, and functions, it’s getting tougher to create sites that stand out from the rest. Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. The more unique your website is, the better the chance it will garner attention — and that can lead to better analytics, increased visitors, and a boost in revenue.

Below are a few tried-and-true methods to help your website take center stage and leave the competition in the dust:

1. Hire a Professional Web Designer to Create a Unique Template/Appearance

Have you noticed that plenty of sites are forgettable because they all look the same? Don’t let this happen to your site! If you are a company owner, hire a professional web design team with an impressive portfolio of customized sites. Your site will look fresh and inviting, rather than tired and trite.

2. Use Color, Textures, and Imagery Effectively

Is your current website languishing because it’s not very aesthetically appealing? You may be able to reinvigorate it with color, background images, etc.

One word of caution: This should be done in a sandbox first. Never make changes like these to your live website. Be sure to test different color combinations, and proceed with caution. You don’t want to go from dull to over-embellished or busy.

3. Offer Compelling, Well–Written Content

Poorly written content that features misspellings, grammatical errors, and keyword-stuffing could bring your site to its knees. To make your website rise to the top, your content has to be thorough, professional, creative, and compelling.

If you and your team do not have the ability to write content for the web, outsource the job to your preferred web developer and marketer. It’s well worth the investment, because your content will be sharable, educational, and inviting.

4. Improve Your Site’s Functionality

The best websites are those that seem to intuitively know what users need and want. When a visitor lands on your website, they should be able to chart the waters effortlessly.

By making it simple to move about your site, you are creating a welcoming environment. This helps foster brand loyalty, repeat visits, and better chance of social sharing.

5. Become a Resource for Users

Why do certain websites seem to do better than others? They’re resources for visitors. You can improve the resources you offer your visitors by adding educational elements such as videos, an updated — and not totally self-serving — blog, infographics, and more.

This positions your site as the place to go to get expert info. And that’s a great way to achieve better standings than your competitors.

6. Keep Your Website Fresh and Evolving

Have you ever been to a website that looks like it’s from five or 10 years ago? Chances are that it is! Instead of having a website that looks outdated, be sure to keep yours fresh. This involves systematic investments in updates, but it ensures someone won’t come to your site and wonder why you’re operating in the past.

7. Offer a Terrific Mobile Experience

Users are utilizing their mobile devices, especially smart phones, more than ever. This is only going to continue for the foreseeable future. If your mobile experience isn’t simple-to-use and responsive, you’re doing yourself a disservice. A great mobile experience will satisfy visitors, so always test the look and functionality of your site on all mobile devices.

8. Keep Adding More Relevant Pages and Refreshing Your Current Ones

This means updating your blog frequently, spending time updating your current webpages, adding product pages when needed, and basically keeping your website alive. Not only will this be appreciated by visitors looking for information, but it will also be a beacon for search engine crawlers.

9. Make Sure Your Call–To-Actions Are Front and Center

Finally, it’s important to tell your users what you want them to do. Call-to-actions, whether in written form or in the shape of buttons/images, need to be out in the open. People tend to take the steps you want them to take if you make the path clear and easy to follow.

Spend a little time with your website, and see if these improvement techniques could work in your favor. A stand-out site can be highly profitable, which makes any pragmatic upgrades or changes a sensible decision.