1. Make a clear sitemap If it’s a mess, your navigation is a mess. You want a clear path available for the user, not a keep-you-guessing maze.

2. Make your contact information and social media easily found There’s nothing more frustrating than combing a site and finding no human’s name, phone number or email. That’s no way to build relationships, which is what you want, right?

3. Use calls to action (CTAs) that make a user want to engage further. Place them strategically throughout the site asking thoughtful and provoking questions. Set up a formula. Point out a challenge or an issue your customer may have. Provide a solution. Then offer your help.

4. Be visually deliberate. Ensure graphics add interest to the website and don’t simply fill space. Remove images that serve no true purpose. This saves load time and helps visitors focus on what’s important, rather than being distracted by an empty, shiny thing.

5. Be purposeful in your messaging. Ask yourself: Why does this page exist? What do people need to know to make an informed decision? Focus on one topic (as a bonus make it your focused keyword), and write content that supports that idea.

6. Guide the user Use negative space, balance, padding and image proximity to direct users through content. Navigation is so critical, yet often isn’t thought through completely during the website planning stage.

7. Deliver feedback. For example, when they sign up for your enews, have an animation play while it’s submitting. Then have a check mark or thank-you message come up to confirm their email was accepted. If it wasn’t, the animation could shake and request a valid email.

8. Test user interactivity (UI) and user experience (UX)Observe people interacting with your website for the first time. See where they get hung up. Ask their opinion. Listen. Then act on what you learn.

I hope these suggestions help. Your website’s worth your investment in energy and resources. It’s there round-the-clock, answering questions, serving up information, advancing your brand. Lend it a hand so it can work smarter not harder.

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