January 26, 2025
In 2025, it's fair to say that any business worth their salt has a website and likely a few social media profiles. Many companies funnel traffic to their website and create online sales they likely never would've received without a proper online presence. Other "stuck in the mud" businesses ultimately ignore their website, leaving it to simply act as a business card on the off-chance a visitor stops in to take a look.
So what is it exactly that differentiates the winners and losers when it comes to converting, purpose-based websites. Well, there's a lot to it, and we look forward to sharing as many winning solutions as possible every week!
A great website today must be more than just a digital placeholder. It needs to work hard for your business too. Here are 11 qualities that can turn a basic website into a powerhouse for building trust, attracting leads, and converting customers.
One of the major contributing factors to a website that converts sales versus a site that melts away into the shadowy depths of the internet is testimonials. People want to do business with people they trust. If they don't know you personally, one of the only surefire ways to convince people of your validity is to showcase what your previous customers have thought about their experience working with your business.
You'll see a lot of big companies that display the logos of the companies that use their product. This is one way to do it. A more personal approach is to write out some of your ideal reviews and highlight them in a creative way so that your visitors can read exactly what they've said.
A simple, fast and dynamic way to do this is by embedding your Google reviews directly on your site. In doing this, Google will automatically display your newest testimonials as soon as they come in - saving you time and effort from copy and pasting them manually.
An SSL certificate is a digital shield for your website, protecting your site from a variety of potential threats caused by hackers, virtual bugs and so on. Before you dismiss this and assume that your site is too small to be affected, that’s not exactly how it works. Bots that can intercept important information about your website, your business and your customers information tend to more commonly target small businesses and areas that they can detect a lack of security.
Along with the digital vulnerability, websites without an SSL have a nice little "Not Secure" badge right at the top of the site for all of your visitors to see.
Even worse than that, when a potential customer starts typing into any input field on your site (ie. contact form, message box, etc.) that "Not Secure" badge (on some browsers) will even glow red to further remind your customers that their information is not safe.
If all of that isn't enough, Google in recent years has began penalizing websites without an SSL from ranking well on Google, which again, you can imagine is bad for business.
Luckily, installing an SSL isn't incredibly complicated and there are actually several cheap or even free outlets to install one on your site. Our go-to is Cloudflare. Along with many website speed improvements and security features, redirecting your domain through Cloudflare gives you a free SSL certificate and the setup takes about 5 minutes.
Our web design team installs SSL certificates by default (as all web design companies should), and we even help you install one for your own website regardless of whether you're our customer or not. Just a thought 🤷.
Websites in this day and age need to flow seamlessly. People have been hopping around websites for decades now. Sites that are easy to use with clear intent tend to win far more than their complicated counterparts. One of the biggest assets your website can include to boost your website's conversion is to embed a lead form directly onto your site.
This can be a contact form where customers can simply reach out to ask questions. This can also be a service quote form, where visitors type in their project needs and you provide them with an estimate. Or this could be a registration form where you sign your customers up for your service/product right then and there.
Having an end goal to your website is critical to convert your visitors into customers. A properly built, responsive website form that lets customers easily reach out to you or register for your service can be the difference between website traffic that comes and goes, versus traffic that leads to business.
There are many ways to install a form onto your website. You can attempt to design it yourself through whatever website builder you may use. Alternatively, if you have a trusted web designer that can put one together for you, that may work also.
Depending on your form's needs, you may require a third-party service to handle some of the advanced features like form validation, that ensures that your customers are typing in the right information and not leaving important fields blank before they submit. Some forms may even require the ability to take payment in order to automatically sell your services upon submission of your form.
Plugins like Google Forms or JotForm can provide an easy form building experience, though they require a bit more advanced tweaking for bigger features.
When it comes to building a website that leaves a lasting impression, design is key. A well-designed website isn’t just about making things look attractive, it’s about creating an experience that feels professional, user-friendly, and easy to navigate. The design of your website sets the tone for how visitors perceive your business. A modern, visually appealing website builds trust and shows that you take your business, and their experience, seriously.
A clean, well-organized design immediately shows that your business is credible. It’s also important for keeping users engaged. When a site is easy on the eyes, functional, and intuitive, visitors are more likely to explore and stick around longer. Good design helps guide users through your website, making their visit smooth and purposeful.
Importantly, great design isn’t just about how things look, it’s about how they work. A responsive design makes sure that your site works across all devices, from desktop computers to smartphones. With the ever-increasing number of users on mobile, responsive design is no longer optional, in 2025 it’s necessary for both user experience and SEO.
A website should limit any friction by making sure users can quickly navigate to what they need with minimal effort. This means easy navigation and a clear menu structure. You want to prioritize important links in the main navigation menu and move less essential links to the footer. The easier it is for someone to find what they’re looking for, the better.
Reducing the number of clicks needed to access key information is critical. Fewer clicks mean better conversion rates and happier visitors. As noted in Fewer Clicks, More Purchases by Murat Unal and Young-Hoon Park, reducing the number of steps in a customer's visit to your site significantly boosts conversions.
Don't forget to test your website’s usability. Gather feedback from actual users to refine the experience. This can help you highlight areas that need improvement and help make sure you're providing the best possible experience for your visitors.
The majority of users today access websites via mobile devices, so a mobile-first design is crucial. A site that isn't optimized for mobile can frustrate visitors, causing them to leave and likely never return. Plus, Google gives higher rankings to mobile-friendly sites, so an optimized site is also important for SEO.
At this point, mobile optimization is more of a necessity than a luxury. If your site isn’t responsive and mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on potential customers. Make sure your site looks great and functions well on all screen sizes, from phones to desktops.
Content is king, and regularly updated, high-quality content is key to keeping your website engaging and improving its visibility in search engines. Fresh content not only gives your audience a reason to return, but it also helps build trust by showcasing your expertise and knowledge. Whether it's blog posts, case studies, or user guides, quality content adds value to your visitors and helps establish your brand as an authority in your industry.
Consider including blogs, case studies, or guides that highlight your expertise and can add value to your visitors' experience.
In addition to keeping users engaged, fresh content can help significantly improve your SEO. Search engines like Google tend to favour websites that consistently update their content, so posting regularly helps your site rank higher in search results. This leads to more organic traffic and greater exposure for your business!
By integrating content that your audience can relate to, and addresses their needs or questions, you create a dynamic website that attracts both visitors and search engines. Plus, it gives people a reason to keep coming back for more.
Clear, visible contact information is essential for building trust with your visitors. Potential customers shouldn’t have to dig around your website to find your phone number or email address. Make it easy for them to get in touch by placing contact details prominently, such as in the header, footer, or on a dedicated contact page. The more accessible this information is, the more likely visitors are to reach out.
For local businesses, it’s equally important to have your physical location front and center. Include an embedded map, directions, and any other relevant location details, so customers can easily find you if they need to visit in person. This not only improves user experience but also helps local SEO, making it easier for your business to be found by nearby customers.
By making your contact and location information easy to find, you reduce any hassle for potential customers and improve their overall experience on your site!
Great websites have clear Calls to Action (CTAs). Whether you want users to "Buy Now," "Request a Quote," or "Sign Up," those CTAs should stand out and help guide visitors through their journey.
CTAs help you lead your visitors toward the next step, and when done right, they can help dramatically boost your conversion rate! Want more tips on optimizing your CTAs? Check out our blog post on 6 Proven Strategies to Improve Your Website’s Conversion Rate.
If you want people to find your website, it’s not enough to just have great content, you also need to make sure your site is optimized for search engines. Simple SEO practices, like optimizing your meta tags, adding alt text to images, and focusing on the right keywords, can make a big difference in how your site ranks on Google. The better your SEO, the more likely you are to show up when people search for what you offer. Also, you better make sure you also have a local SEO strategy if you business operates out of a specific area/location.
But SEO isn’t just about Google, it’s also about how people share your content on social media. Make it easy for visitors to share what they like on your site by including social media buttons and ensuring your content looks good when it gets shared. This can help drive more traffic your way and increase your reach.
And don’t forget to monitor how your site is performing. Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can give you insights into what's working and where you can improve. By keeping an eye on the numbers, you can continuously tweak your SEO and social strategies to get the best results.
Website speed is more important than you might think, it impacts everything from user retention to conversions and even SEO. If your site takes too long to load, visitors might get frustrated and leave before they even get a chance to see what you offer. Even just a one-second delay in load time can cause a noticeable drop in conversions.
It’s not just about keeping your visitors happy, Google also cares about page speed. In fact, it uses load time as a ranking factor, so if your site is slow, it could hurt your visibility in search results. The last thing you want is for a potential customer to give up on your site and for search engines to ignore it as well.
Thankfully, improving site speed doesn’t have to be complicated. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help pinpoint what’s slowing your site down. From there, things like image compression, lazy loading, and caching can make a big difference. A faster website means a smoother experience for users, which leads to better retention, higher conversions, and ultimately, more business
Building a website that funnels traffic effectively isn’t as complicated as it may seem. With these 11 essential qualities, you’ll be well on your way to creating a site that not only attracts visitors but also converts them into loyal customers.
If you’re ready to optimize your website or need help getting started, our expert web design team is here to help. Feel free to reach out to us today and see how Fairway can turn your website into a conversion powerhouse.
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