COVID-19 has brought an unprecedented halt to business as usual. In its wake, businesses, brands and marketers alike have turned to the digital world as the primary outlet to service customers, connect, engage and interact. For many, the sudden pivot has revealed some suddenly front-and-center challenges. Now more than ever before, an effective and adaptable website is a crucial tool to attract, serve and retain customers. But is your website up to the challenge? As you evaluate whether or not your site has what it takes, here are a few things to think about now.
Is your website ready for post-COVID reality?
Social distancing and self-isolation have driven current and potential customers to the web like never before. Even when the current crisis abates, experts say many of these new digital habits are likely to stick. That means making sure your site can effectively relay information, sell product or provide service for your customers now and going forward. Can your customers find what they are looking for quickly and easily? Is your content accurate, informative, and easy to navigate? Do you have the e-commerce abilities you need? Do you have live chat or other ways to immediately connect and communicate?
Is your website accessible?
Greater numbers of online users means a greater diversity in those users as well. Web accessibility is a term that refers to the principles of designing and developing websites, web tools, technologies and online content that allow all individuals, regardless of disability, to use and interact with them easily. Web accessibility should seek to provide inclusion regardless of the nature or severity of an individual’s impairment whether it be auditory, neurological, cognitive, visual, physical or speech. In addition, web accessibility measures are also useful for web visitors who may not have disabilities but have situational limitations instead. That could include someone with a temporary disability like a broken arm or someone with slow or limited bandwidth. Read more web accessibility basics on our blog here to see how your site measures up.
Is your website compelling?
As everyone flocks to the web, standing out from the crowd and providing great user experiences will be more important – and more challenging – than ever. Just having a website is no longer enough. It needs to be search-friendly to get in front of your audiences. It needs to provide an intuitive experience that gets customers where they want to go. It needs to provide plenty of avenues to connect and converse – not just for lead generation but for questions, information and service. And, as it may be not just the first but the only interaction a customer has with your brand, it needs to convey your unique brand voice in a way that immediately connects and engages. Today more than ever before, your digital presence is your flagship. It has to show them who you are, build connections, answer concerns and retain loyalty. It has to be the heart of your brand.
As the digital realm becomes the everyday norm, a strong website presence is a must-have for every business and brand. And it’s an investment that will pay dividends not just in today’s crisis but on an ongoing basis as we look to better days ahead.
Header Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash