Wondering what to include in a website to fulfill its potential to the fullest? Nothing hard to do. In this article, you will learn all the functionalities you absolutely must not neglect on your website. You will also discover what exactly drives today's users to willingly and actively use websites. Let's dive more into it right now!
Take your website to the next level
Bringing users to your site and then getting them to stay longer than a few seconds may seem daunting. However, it doesn't have to be! There are a few essential functionalities that absolutely must be included on your website for you to achieve the kind of results you dream of.
By including them on your website, you will not only increase the number of visits and time spent on your site by users but also lead to increased conversions - which will, of course, translate into your profits. Check out now what you absolutely must enrich your website with!
12 features on a website to gain unlimited growth!
1. Blog
The Blog is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas with the world. It can also be used to share news and information or to promote your business or products.
When running a Blog is essential to:
1. Share your thoughts and feelings, and let your readers get to know you.
2. Focus on topics that you know about.
3. Be sure to be consistent with your posts.
2. News
Google, Bing, Yandex, and other search engines value frequently updated pages. Ironically, most sites on the Internet - including your competitors - are not generally updated. So if you often add new content to your website, search engines will notice your website's activity and reward you with an increase in its position in search results!
How can you use the News functionality in your business?
a) Provide company news; information about the team, successes, and changes in the enterprise,
b) Keep up-to-date news on current trends and innovations in the industry,
c) Inform about special offers or discounts,
d) Share case studies of concluded/ongoing projects.
3. Portfolio
Including a Portfolio on your website is a great way to show potential clients what you can do. It can also help you to stand out from the competition. When putting together your Portfolio, add your best work. You may also want to consider adding a brief bio and contact information.
4. Tutorials, Glossary
This is a much-needed and valuable functionality for websites that sell various products or things and for sites that want to position themselves as a knowledge base for a particular field or topic.
If you provide users, for example, with a tool, be sure to create tutorials that will allow users to learn how to use it properly and more quickly. In the case of BOWWE, we create such tutorials in several forms, including video and written instructions.
If your website is devoted to some specific topic like marketing, it is worth creating a separate sub-page, which will be a dictionary/glossary containing definitions of all terms that the user should know about the topic. Such a solution will allow you to effectively increase organic traffic to your website and show you as an expert in a particular field.
5. Testimonials
When you're looking to buy a product or service, it's always helpful to hear what others have had to say about it. The same goes for your website – potential customers want to hear what others have had to say about your business before they decide to take the plunge and make a purchase.
That's where testimonials come in. Testimonials are a great way to show your website visitors that you're a credible business with satisfied customers. They can help to build trust and encourage people to buy from you.
The best Testimonials are ones that are specific and personal. Ask your customers to write a few sentences about their experience with your product or service. If they had a good experience, ask them to share a few details about what they liked. If they had a bad experience, ask them what you could have done to make it better.
6. Chat
There are many benefits to adding a Chat to your website. With a Chat, you can answer any questions they may have and get feedback from them. This can be an excellent way to learn what your customers like and don’t like about your site.
Chat can also help keep your customers engaged. If they can chat with you directly, they will likely stay on your site and continue browsing. This can help increase your page views and conversion rate.
7. Contact form
When creating a website, one of the most important things to add to a website is a Contact Form. This form allows website visitors to easily and quickly get in touch with you, whether they have questions, comments, or suggestions.
Not only is it convenient for your website visitors, but it can also be helpful for you as the site owner. By having a Contact Form on your website, you can easily keep track of the inquiries you receive and then respond to them in a timely manner.
If you’re not currently using a Contact Form on your website, consider adding one. It’s a simple feature that can make a big difference for you and your website visitors.
8. Contact information
When people visit your website, they may want to get in touch with you for a variety of reasons. Whether you're a small business owner or a blogger, it's important to include Contact Information on your website. This way, people can easily get in touch with you if they have any questions or comments.
What to consider in this feature?
→ Address
→ Phone number
→ Google Map
→ Social media profiles
9. Social media sharing buttons
Including social media sharing buttons on your website is a great way to increase traffic and shares. Social media buttons make it easy for website visitors to share your content with friends and followers.
Choose the most basic and popular media (Facebook, Instagram) and those that are important to your audience and fit into your type of content (Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.).
10. CTA buttons
CTAs are ones of the website must-haves because they encourage users to take a specific action, such as subscribing to a newsletter, making a purchase, or downloading a PDF.
There are many different CTA buttons, and each should be designed to encourage the user to take the desired action. Some of the most common types of CTA buttons include:
→ Buttons that say "Subscribe" or "Sign Up"
→ Buttons that say "Buy Now" or "Add to Cart"
→ Buttons that say "Download" or "Get Your Free Copy"
CTAs are a vital part of any website and should not be ignored.
11. Subscriber opt-in
When it comes to subscriber opt-in, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, you need to make it easy for your visitors to subscribe. This means including a prominently placed opt-in form on your website and making it easy to fill out.
The second thing to remember is that you must offer something of value in exchange for subscribing. This could be anything from exclusive content to discounts on your products or services.
The third and final thing to keep in mind is that you need to send out regular email updates to your subscribers. This could be once a week, once a month, or even once a day. The key is to send out valuable updates to your subscribers.
If you follow these three tips, you'll be well on building a successful subscriber opt-in list.
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12. Google Search Console and Google Analytics integration
You may think your website functions just fine without those two Google tools, but you would be wrong. Including Google Search Console and Google Analytics on your website is a must to get the most out of your website.
Google Search Console is a free tool that helps you monitor your website's search performance. It shows you how your website performs in Google searches, how many impressions and clicks your website is getting, and which keywords are used to find your website.
Google Analytics is also a free tool that helps you monitor your website's traffic. It shows you where your website's traffic is coming from, how long people stay on your website, and what pages people visit most.
Both tools are essential for website owners and should be included on every website.
Website functionalities - Summary
Just creating a website is only the first step to succeeding online. You also need to ensure that your site encourages visitors and, most importantly, interaction with it.
The listed website features list will help you grow your business faster and more efficiently. So work on enriching it step by step with the items from my list, thus ensuring your site's dynamic and continuous development!
Karol is a serial entrepreneur, e-commerce speaker m.in for the World Bank, and founder of 3 startups, as part of which he has advised several hundred companies. He was also responsible for projects of the largest financial institutions in Europe, with the smallest project being worth over €50 million.
He has two master's degrees, one in Computer Science and the other in Marketing Management, obtained during his studies in Poland and Portugal. He gained experience in Silicon Valley and while running companies in many countries, including Poland, Portugal, the United States, and Great Britain. For over ten years, he has been helping startups, financial institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises to improve their functioning through digitization.