How a Dumpster Truck Got Me Thinking About Website Effectiveness

Our basement recently flooded, leaving quite a mess and lots of household items ruined. We had some tossing out to do—so much so that I realized we needed one of those DIY dumpsters that a business brings to your home and leaves for you to fill, and then returns to haul it away.

I knew instantly the dumpster company that I wanted to call since I’d seen one of their trucks on the road several weeks (or maybe it was several months) back. The truck appeared clean and professional, with the company’s slogan prominently displayed:

“Bin There, Dump That.”

Obviously, the slogan stuck in my mind, and both it and the truck provided a good enough impression that I bypassed the other possible choices and went directly to that business for our needs. This got me to thinking that much as the company’s truck on the road also served as its advertisement, websites do the same thing for B2B companies, they just do it digitally and to a far greater extent.

This we know: Websites must not only look good and be engaging (like the dumpster truck and slogan), but they must also perform well for the visitor and provide them with the information they need. These days, 94% of B2B buyers search online before purchasing, meaning your website is likely the first impression they’ll have of your company.

How engaging and effective is your website? Here are the aspects for consideration:

• Design: This is the user interface (UI) “look and feel” that includes layout, images and graphics, colors, and fonts, as well as how easy it is to navigate. Consider that visitors take only 0.05 seconds on average to form an opinion about a website and 94% of those initial impressions are related to design elements.
• Copy: Is your website’s content telling your brand’s story effectively and in an engaging manner? For instance, is your messaging up to date and your differentiators and benefits clear? Are you saying too little or overwhelming visitors with too much complexity and detail?
• Performance: This includes page load speeds, traffic (how much and where it’s coming from), SEO, and keyword effectiveness. A review of performance indicators such as page visits, bounce rates, duration on specific pages, etc. can also show how well the website is keeping site visitors engaged.
• Mobile Viability: Mobile devices have exploded in popularity and can’t be left out of the equation. Assess how well your website’s pages look on smaller screens and whether data fields, say for newsletter signups or white paper downloads, can be filled out easily.

A remarkable 75% of people base a company’s credibility on how its website looks, feels, and responds to the user journey. This is why it’s essential for yours to be at its best. When the above aspects are all performing optimally, your website can offer the best user experience (UX), ensuring that site visitors stay longer and return more often—and ultimately, interact with your company leading up to purchase.

While you can certainly assess the above factors yourself, know that Carabiner often audits website effectiveness for clients and makes recommendations for improvements as needed. Our team of professional website developers, graphic designers, writers, and SEO specialists have built (or rebuilt) countless websites from the ground up so that they better engage, inform, and sell.

We’re here to help. Connect with us to talk about your website needs today.