1. Website Development Is About Increasing Conversions<br />In today’s online world it’s an absolute necessity for businesses to have a website. People search for products and services and seek information online. If a company doesn’t have a web presence it’s likely that they won’t be viewed as legitimate and they will certainly lose business to competitors. Companies don’t just set up websites because they are fun to have. Websites are created for specific business purposes. The goal of any business website should be to get conversions. The key is to understand exactly what kind of conversion it is that you want to achieve and to build the website in a way that is conversion friendly.<br />Conversions need to be measured, and they entail much more than just increasing traffic to a website. It’s important for website visitors to do something, or take some sort of action once they land on a page. The action that they should take for the most part depends on what kind of business is operating the website. Some websites are designed to sell products directly while others want prospects to provide information, fill out lead forms, sign up to receive an email newsletter, supply referrals, or call the office directly. <br />Once conversion goals have been set, it’s time to set up a website in a way that makes it easy for visitors to convert. The first step to gaining conversions is to be trustworthy. Even though e-commerce continues to grow and most companies use their website as a key promotional and communication tool, people can still be skeptical about what they see online. It’s important for companies to build a good online reputation from the get-go. Users will be much more likely to trust a source that has lots of good content that can easily be found online. Articles, blog posts, and press releases that portray the company in a positive light are favorable ways to gain trust. It’s also important to include all contact information on a company website and on social media profiles. This includes providing a physical address, telephone number, and email address on every page. Consumers can be weary of websites that don’t provide this information. For an e-commerce site it’s also important to include an Exchanges and Returns section that is clearly visible and easily understood. If a customer doesn’t like a product or if it doesn’t work they want to know that they can return or exchange it. <br />The next step to gaining conversions is that the site should be simple to navigate. Ease of use should always be kept in mind when developing a website. Breadcrumbs are a great tool to implement because they allow the user to know where they are on a website and where they have been. Make sure that call to action links are visible on every page, encouraging the user to convert. This can include an “add to shopping cart” or a “request a consultation” button. By using these strategies, it’s much more likely that a web visitor will convert. <br />About the Author:<br />Brick Marketing is a Boston MA based SEO and SEM company that offers online reputation management services. For more information please call 877-295-0620 or visit http://www.brickmarketing.com. <br />