5 Essential Steps to Creating a High-Performing Business Website

In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is vital for businesses to connect with their customers effectively. While social media platforms may seem like an easy way to reach your audience, recent changes in algorithms have made them pay-to-play sites, requiring advertising dollars to gain visibility. Instead, taking charge of your online presence by setting up and maintaining your own website offers the freedom, flexibility, and ownership of your content and brand voice.

According to Dave Meyer, a certified Google trainer and president of BizzyWeb, a great website should be goal-oriented, search-friendly, convenient, organized, and trustworthy. Here are five essential steps to creating a website that works for you and your customers:

1. Build Trustworthiness

• Prioritize website security to build trust with customers when they share personal details or payment information. Obtain a secure socket layer certificate to authenticate your site and establish a secure connection.
• Boost credibility by displaying customer reviews and ratings on your website, helping potential customers make informed decisions about doing business with your company.
• Provide up-to-date contact information to instill confidence in customers that they can rely on your team for support.

2. Establish Clear Goals

• Begin by evaluating the specific purposes your propane company needs a website for, such as building brand awareness, generating leads, making sales, re-engaging customers, attracting employees, and providing customer support.
• Set measurable goals for your website, such as increasing unique website visits by 20 percent in the next three months or gaining 400 new email subscribers within six months. Track data from online sales, contact form submissions, phone calls, or website engagement to measure your success.
• Utilize a free Google Analytics account to monitor visitors’ behavior on your website effectively.

3. Offer Convenience

• Respond to post-covid-19 customer expectations by providing convenience through online billing, flexible delivery options, and virtual consultations.
• Boost customer satisfaction and search rankings with a mobile-friendly design that enhances navigation.
• Improve loading speed; even a 0.1-second enhancement can increase conversion rates by 8 percent. Test your website’s loading speed using Google’s tool.

4. Enhance Search-Friendliness

• Respond to the growing trend of customers searching for local businesses, like your propane company, by making your website search-friendly.
• Prioritize improving the website’s speed for a faster loading time.
• Publish original and relevant content that customers find useful.
• Include text links to guide customers to related content on your site.
• Optimize page titles and descriptions with relevant keywords.
• Ensure your website is responsive and works flawlessly on all devices and browsers.
• Utilize Google’s search console to check and adjust your website’s search results.

5. Organize Effectively

• Improve search engine recognition and ranking by having an organized website.
• Create a clear information framework, listing website pages in a navigation menu.
• Use visual elements to highlight helpful information on your website.
• Utilize Google Trends to discover sought-out topics among your customers and use relevant keywords to improve search visibility.

By following these five essential steps, your propane company can create a high-performing website that serves as a valuable resource for customers, encouraging meaningful engagement and lasting relationships. Take charge of your online presence and unlock the full potential of your business through a well-crafted and professional website.