No matter what industry you are in, there are certain key elements that customers want to see when browsing a website. If you want to increase sales and customer loyalty, make sure to consider including the following points.

1.) Easy to find contact information. Telephone number, physical address, your business hours of operation, and an email form should be listed as ‘text’, not a graphic. This allows the visitor to click on the address so that it opens up in Google Maps, or if they click the phone number it will automatically dial on their mobile phone. All of this information should be easily accessible, preferably on the top right corner of every page. Providing this information to consumers also builds credibility.

2.) What does your company offer? You need to be clear about exactly what kinds of services or products you have to offer to your visitors, which should always include high-quality pictures and prices. Consumers want to find information right away. If they have trouble finding what they are looking for or if there is any confusion about what your company does, they are more likely to choose a competitors website over yours. Show them how you are different from the competition and make sure to include links to your products/services to give them more information.

3.) Responsive Web Design & user-friendly layout. Now that many users are accessing websites through their smartphones, responsive web design is essential. Your website should be easy to navigate and well-structured, so visitors can easily find the information they are searching for.

4.) Linking social media channels to your site & Customer testimonials. You can include social icons on the bottom of your website, allowing customers to easily navigate from your site to social media channels when learning about your business. Customers like to research online and see what previous customers experiences have been like doing business with you before making any decisions. Providing this information can help build a sense of trust in your potential customers.

5.) Fast page loading time. This one can be a deal breaker. Web users are expecting a site to load properly in under 2 seconds, and are more likely to leave a site and look elsewhere if the website hasn’t loaded in 3 seconds. Page load time can determine whether or not consumers will visit your website again, and whether they mention their experience to friends and family. There are tools and plugins that can help you determine how to improve page speed.

6.) Menu. Businesses such as restaurants, hair salons, and nail salons with services should always include a menu with prices on their website. Web users want to know what to expect beforehand, so make sure to post a HTML formatted menu that is up to date, with photos (applies to restaurants), and easy to read font and design on all devices – smartphones, tablets, desktop computer.

7.) SSL Certificate. Secure Socket Layers(SSL) is a technology that gives your customers a secure connection while browsing your website. This is important to have especially if you have a website where credit card information and personal info is stored, such as a store. Visitors want to feel safe, and providing SSL on your website can help to establish trust in them when they see the green lock on your site.