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Website Must-Have’s

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Non negotiables for your website

I visit a lot of shops, heck I do quite a bit of googling and online shopping and even more so in 2020/2021.

However it still amazes how many sites I visit that don’t have, what I consider some of the basics. Some are required under Australian Law, others are good for creating trust factor with clients and some are there because you really should have them!

Here are my list of website must-have’s:

 

  • SSL Certificate

    • SSL is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browser remain private. Having this creates a trust factor between your business and clients along with search engines like Google.

  • Mobile Friendly

    • The web is being accessed more and more on mobile devices. So designing your website to be mobile friendly ensures that your pages perform well on all devices. As such, when designing a website, you should ensure it is designed for mobile friendliness FIRST and desktop second. When I do the occasional website build, I ensure that this occurs and it’s included in my pricing…not an additional add-on.

  • Site Back-up

    • If you self manage your website, this is critically important to ensure you have a regular back-up occurring for your site, that you can also retrieve should your site go down. If your site is maintained by someone else, check with them and ask for a monthly update on when your site was last updated.

  • Opening or Contact Hours

    • Providing opening hours or contact hours enables your clients to know when they can visit (if you have a physical store) or get in touch with you to be able to provide a service. Check your website and ensure these are listed in the footer and on your contact page so it’s clear to your clients.
I am always surprised by this next one at the number of websites that DO NOT have a privacy policy on their site.

  • Privacy Policy

    • In Australia, we are bound by the Privacy Act 1988 and it was introduced to promote and protect the privacy of individuals and to regulate how Australian Government agencies and organisations with an annual turnover of more than $3 million, and some other organisations, handle personal information. 
    • Now whilst many of us small businesses do not have a turnover of over $3m, we still often collect information through our contact forms, freebie signups and the like. Therefore, it is important to ensure that we advise how we collect and use this information plus it also creates that trust factor with your clients.
    • Privacy Policies are generally located in the footer of a website and easy enough to put in place.

  • Easy to Navigate

    • Websites with information hidden behind layers of navigation, or that have confusing tabs or ads for unrelated products or services do not perform well. This type of design can frustrate users and can result in people leaving your site without viewing further than the first page.
       

  • Easy to Read Fonts

    • A font’s main purpose is to be read, and that’s it!
      People shouldn’t need to TRY to read your text, it should just happen.
      What are some good fonts for websites? Have a look at some of these:
      📍 Merriweather
      📍 Sans-Serif
      📍 Helvetica
      📍 Arial
      📍 Georgia

  • Terms and Conditions

    • Terms and conditions act as a contract between you or your business and your users and customers.
      It serves to set out the rights and responsibilities of both parties.
      In order to use your website, product, or mobile application, your users must agree to abide by your terms and conditions and to provide services as per the terms.

So there are my list of must-have’s for your website (plus a few others but definitely didn’t want to overdo it!). What are your must-have’s for a website? 

Until next time!
Jo

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