Did you know?
As of March 2021, there are over 1.83 billion websites on the internet.
But, it is estimated that at most 200 million of them are actually active.
But still, 200 million websites?
That is a big number!
If you have a website or aspiring to build one, ask yourself, how will you stand out?
There is already too much noise out there.
And if you don’t have a plan to make people take note of your site, don’t even bother starting a website because you will be adding to the noise.
But hey, don’t give up yet.
In this article, I will reveal #7 things all the top 1% of websites have in common.
Cool Website Features: Simplified Navigation
Instead of boring you with words, how about we use real world examples?
Well, take a look at this website;
It is more than obvious the owner gives zero chills about navigation.
The content is everywhere.
And worse of all, buttons are not even visible!
Now, look at this other one;
The navigation design is simple.
As such, the user can find exactly what they are looking for fast.
That is the approach you need to take with your own website.
When creating a website navigation design, take into account the scaling.
Your site won’t be a toddler forever, right?
At some point, you will have more than 100 pages. And when that happens, you need to guide readers to wherever they are going fast and smoothly.
Hear this;
The rule of thumb is simple;
Keep vital content not more than 2 mouse clicks away.
Have that in mind next time you are designing website navigation.
Cool Website Features: Maintain Trendy Look
Web design technology changes fast more than you can imagine.
What is trending today will be obsolete before you even know it.
So the only way to stay ahead of the curve is to adopt dynamic designs that uphold a positive user experience.
Remember, you are not doing all this tweaking for yourself.
Rather, you are doing it to make it easy for your website visitors to have a pleasant experience.
To put this in perspective, 83% of customers believe that a beautiful and updated appearance on a website is useful (Source; Clutch.co).
Again, don’t go for beauty that will only make you smile. Have user experience in mind.
Cool Website Features: Relevant, Actionable Content
This is one of the must-have cool website features.
Unfortunately, most website owners ignore it thinking the website will somehow perform magic and bring in business.
Well, this may not be further from the truth – for billion-dollar brands like Nike and Cocacola.
So, if you aren’t a household name, yet, get back in the trenches and crank out content.
In fact, even brands like Nike still produce content.
But it’s a little different for them because there is plenty of user-generated content (UGC) for them to leverage.
If you want to attract and retain your target customer, content is your friend.
All you have to do is figure out their buying process and create content for each stage.
And it’s not just any content.
If you decide to write content, make it actionable.
Make it easy to digest and easy to read. No one wants to know how good your vocabulary is.
#4 – Use Quality Visuals and Descriptions
Remember the study we mentioned earlier?
It also found that 91% of website users adore the use of images and descriptions on a website.
What does this tell you?
If you are running an eCommerce business, you need to use quality product visuals.
And top it up, write a persuasive and helpful description.
By doing so, you are not only helping the user get information fast, but you also increase the chances of them converting into a sale.
#5 – Utilize Vlogs
Yes, vlogging is taking the business world by storm.
And if you blink, you will be left behind.
Several website owners have embraced the use of videos to ‘humanize’ their brands.
As we speak, video stands as the most consumed type of content.
All you have to do is figure out how you can reach your target audience using video.
For example;
If you are an online store, you can entice your existing customers to record videos of themselves using your products.
Then post the videos on your social media accounts.