Every startup needs a website. In today's digital age, that statement rings more true than ever. But even as startups increasingly build their web presence, the quality of these pages often leaves much to be desired. So we're here to cure all ills!
The ideal anatomy of a startup website reveals 4 components that your startup website needs to be successful.
1. A Beautiful Homepage
For the vast majority of businesses large and small, over 50% of visits go straight to your homepage, whether they come from organic search or users typing in your URL directly. That means even if you're running campaigns that lead your audience to specific subpages, your homepage will likely get the majority of traffic from visitors.
It also means that as you can probably imagine, your homepage is the single most important page on your entire website.
Think of it as a storefront. While you won't always get business directly from your homepage, it determines whether or not your visitors get a good enough impression of your startup to learn more and eventually become customers. And just like you should spend your majority of writing time on a headline, your homepage needs to be your focus in web design.
2. Clear Calls To Action
Even the most beautiful homepage will matter little if it doesn't entice your visitors to go beyond, which is why every startup website should include clear calls to action directed toward the audience.
Of course, the exact nature of your calls to action depends on the nature of your startup. An e-commerce site should get its users to buy products, while a storefront business may lean more toward joining email lists or getting web-only offers for physical purchases.
Speaking of calls-to-action: Ideally, your website should capture users in a way that turns them from anonymous visitors into contacts captured in your database. Your calls to action should lead to landing pages on which visitors can sign up to receive their offer, coupon, piece of content, or whatever else you might have to offer. This type of inbound marketing strategy can significantly enhance your website, turning it from a static online presence to an active marketing and lead-generating tool.
3. Social Proof
Every startup is convinced of its value and potential. So how do you convince your audience that you actually keep your promises and provide valuable benefits to your customers? While it can and should be important for any marketer, social proof is an especially integral marketing tool for startup businesses who have not yet established a well-known identity or reputation.
Here's a fun fact for you: 88% of consumers trust online reviews by complete strangers as much as they would trust a personal recommendation. Meanwhile, user testimonials drive as much as 50% of all purchasing decisions. Including believable reviews and testimonials by real customers on your homepage and landing pages allows you to build your reputation and increase your customer base.
4. A Solid Foundation
Much like a house, even the most beautiful and thought-out website will not perform up to par if it sits on a creaky or unreliable foundation. Online, that foundation is the code which determines everything about your website, from its layout to its design and even the site-loading speed.
And especially that last point is worth expanding upon: As it turns out, slower-loading websites are a direct cause for losing visitors, as 25% of visitors will abandon your site if it takes four or more seconds to load.
Your code can also influence how well your site looks on a mobile device, how highly it ranks on search engines like Google, and much more. Without a solid foundation, you'll miss out on crucial web traffic for your startup website.
