10 + 2 Metrics to Make Your Website Stand Out

A website is a central component of a business's online ecosystem, as it serves as the main platform where customers can interact with the business and its products or services. A website can also connect with other digital channels, such as social media, email, mobile, eCommerce, and other operational platforms like CRM, ERP… , to create a seamless and integrated customer journey. A website can leverage data and analytics from other sources to optimize its performance and user experienceIt is a necessity and a powerful tool that can help you grow your business and achieve your goals. Whether you are a small business owner, an entrepreneur, or a large corporation, having a well-crafted website can benefit you in many ways.

The evidence is clear. The power of online reputation is not just a guess.

• According to a survey by Clutch, 29% of small businesses that have a website reported an increase in revenue.
• In the same survey by Clutch,75% said their website was very or somewhat effective in achieving their business goals.
• According to a study by Stanford University, 75% of web users admit to making judgments about a company's credibility based on their website's design. A well-designed website can enhance the perceived professionalism, quality, and reliability of a business that lead to the increase of trust, engagement, and conversions.
• A survey by Forbes shows that 94% of first impressions of a website are design-related. A poor website design can reduce the time spent on the site, the number of pages visited, and the likelihood of return visits.
• In a study by BusinessDIT, 97% of customers say websites influence their purchases. A website can provide information, value, and incentives that can persuade customers to buy. And also, 57% of internet users will not recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile website.
• Google reports 91% of customers visited a store after interacting with an online website, also 84% of consumers believe a business’s website is more credible than its social media page. A website can drive offline sales by providing location, contact, and availability information.

It's undeniable - your online reputation has a huge impact on your sales and revenue. If you neglect it, you will miss out on potential customers and profits. How come? Because the data shows it clearly. Your online credibility can make or break your success. So monitoring your reputation and managing it well is essential now.

Having a website is not enough. A professional and high-performing website helps your business gain competitive advantage over your rivals. It can help you stand out from the crowd.

To achieve the top-performing website, you should be aware of these 10 metrics that contribute to its excellence.

1. Speed and Load Time:

This is all about how fast your website opens when someone clicks on it. People don't like waiting, and if your site takes too long to load, they might get frustrated and leave.

Ideal page load time is just 2-3 seconds.

Slow-loading pages can result in high bounce rates and negatively affect search engine rankings. To achieve this, optimize images, minimize HTTP requests, and utilize content delivery networks (CDNs).

Customer Insight: "I hate waiting in long lines, whether it's in a physical store or on a website. If a website takes forever to load, I'm more likely to click away."

2. Responsiveness:

This means your website should look good and work well on phones, tablets, and computers. Think of a customer who's shopping on their phone and wants to see your products clearly. If your website doesn't adjust to their screen size, they might struggle and leave.

We ensure your website adapts to different screens automatically.

Responsive design ensures a seamless user experience across various screen sizes.

Customer Insight: "I do most of my shopping on my phone, so if a website looks weird or is hard to navigate on my small screen, I'll look for another one that's easier to use.”

3. Security:

Just like you'd lock the doors of your physical store, your website needs protection too. Customers want to feel safe when they shop, whether it's in a store or online. If your website doesn't protect their information, they won't trust it. We use special certificates to keep customer information safe.

Security is paramount. Implement an SSL certificate to ensure data encryption and protect user information. Regular security audits and updates are essential to mitigate vulnerabilities and safeguard against cyber threats.

Customer Insight: "I always look for that little padlock symbol in the browser bar before entering my credit card info. If it's not there, I won't buy anything."

4. Content Quality:

Think of your website's content as your store's display. It needs to look good and be interesting to customers. Just as customers want to see well-arranged products in your store, they expect clear and engaging content on your website. We use words and pictures and motions to make your website appealing.

High-quality, relevant, and engaging content is essential. We optimize content for search engines (SEO) by using proper headings, meta tags, and keyword research. A clear page structure enhances readability.

Customer Insight: "When I'm browsing online, I want to quickly find what I'm looking for and understand what it's all about. If a website has messy content, I get frustrated and move on."

5. User Experience (UX):

Imagine arranging your store in a way that makes it easy for customers to find what they need. The same goes for a confusing website. We do the same with your website, so people can navigate it without getting lost.

Through usability testing, user feedback, we test how easy it is for people to use the website and make improvements based on their feedback. UX design focuses on creating an intuitive, user-friendly interface. Conduct usability testing and gather user feedback to identify and rectify any issues, ensuring a seamless navigation experience.

Customer Insight: "If I can't find what I need on a website within a minute or two, I assume they don't have it or it's too much hassle. It's like walking out of a confusing store."

6. Accessibility:

Just as you'd accommodate customers with special needs in your store, your website should do the same for all visitors, including those with disabilities. We make sure everyone can use it comfortably.

For instance, we comply with WCAG Guidelines (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) to ensure the website works well for everyone. This provides equal access to information and services.

Customer Insight: "I appreciate websites that think about people with disabilities. It shows they care about all customers, not just some."

7. Performance Optimization:

Customers don't like delays, whether it's waiting in line or waiting for a website to load. A fast website keeps them engaged. We optimize the performance with your website's code. This makes your website faster and smoother.

By conducting minification, caching, and taking care of code efficiency, we can optimize and clean up the technical stuff significantly and improve website performance. Efficient code reduces server load and speeds up page rendering.

Customer Insight: "When a website loads quickly and smoothly, it feels like they respect my time. I'm more likely to explore and shop."

8. Compatibility:

Your website should not only work well on different devices and browsers but should also seamlessly integrate with external platforms like Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), eCommerce systems… This integration ensures a smooth flow of data and operations between your website and other crucial business systems. It's like making sure your store's products are monitored in real-time and available for everyone.

It’s essential to ensure your web development team will undergo cross-browser and cross-device testing, and regularly evaluate how smoothly and accurately the website and internal systems exchange information.

A highly-performing website should be designed and developed to ensure hassle-free integration with various external platforms, enabling efficient data exchange, improved customer management, streamlined business processes, and enhanced user experiences.

High-quality APIs, middleware, or plugins may be used to achieve this level of compatibility.

Customer Insight: "I use various devices to browse the internet, so a website that works on my laptop, tablet, and phone and accurately reflects on other channels, is a winner in my book."

9. SEO Friendliness:

We make sure the website is easily found by people searching on Google. It's like putting a big sign outside your store so people know it's there.

That is achievable by implementing on-page and technical SEO strategies, including proper URL structures, meta tags, and structured data markup. Regular audits and keyword research are crucial.

Customer Insight: "If I can't find a website on Google, I assume it's not trustworthy or relevant. So, I tend to click on the ones that appear at the top."

10. Scalability:

Imagine your store getting more and more customers, you'd want it to handle the crowd without getting overcrowded or messy. Similarly, we ensure your website can handle more visitors without slowing down.

As traffic grows, a website should be able to scale efficiently. You can employ scalable hosting solutions and load balancing to handle increased user demand.

Customer Insight: "If a website crashes or becomes slow when it gets popular, it's frustrating. I might not come back because it feels unreliable."

A highly-performing website is like having a well-organized, secure, and inviting store in the digital world. It not only attracts customers but also keeps them engaged and satisfied. It respects customers' time, keeps their information safe, and adapts to their needs.

By following the above 10 focus metrics, you can be assured that your online presence is in top shape, helping your business succeed in the competitive online marketplace.

Bonus points: you can create a website that not only attracts customers but also keeps them satisfied and coming back for more. The high standard here is to create a website that not only engages users but also persuades them to take actions that align with your business goals, ultimately driving success in the digital realm.

11. Dynamism - Personalized Interactions:

Imagine a store that changes its layout and products based on what's trending or what customers like. A dynamic website does something similar—it keeps things fresh and engaging. It can change its content or appearance based on user input, preferences, or behavior. It provides a tailored and interactive experience, making each visitor feel special.

Personalization can be measured by tracking user interactions, such as the content they engage with, items they add to a cart, or pages they visit frequently.

For example, the website should dynamically adjust content, recommendations, or offers in real-time based on user behavior, creating a highly personalized and engaging experience.

Customer Insight: "I love it when a website feels alive, like it's always evolving and offering something new. It keeps me coming back."

12. Conversion-Oriented Design - Persuasive User Pathways:

Just as you'd want your store layout to encourage people to buy, a conversion-oriented website is designed to persuade visitors to take action, whether it's making a purchase, signing up, or contacting you. Conversion-oriented design focuses on guiding users toward specific actions. It uses persuasive techniques to drive desired outcomes.

Conversion rate can be measured by tracking the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action (e.g., making a purchase).

The website's design should be centered around clear and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs), strategically placed throughout the user journey, to maximize conversions. A/B testing and data analysis can help refine and optimize these pathways.

Customer Insight: "When I visit a website, I want to know exactly what I should do next. A clear 'Buy Now' button or a simple way to get in touch makes my life easier."

Conclusion

A highly-performing website is the result of meticulous attention to technical measurements and adherence to high development standards. To succeed in the fast-advancing digital landscape, it's essential to prioritize metrics such as speed, responsiveness, security, content quality, user experience, accessibility, performance optimization, compatibility, SEO friendliness, and scalability, and the extra ones which are dynamism and conversion-orientation.

By consistently monitoring and improving these metrics, website owners and developers can create a digital presence that not only attracts visitors but also keeps them engaged and satisfied. In the competitive online world, a top-performing website is the key to success and growth.

Let’s talk with our team to discover how you can create a website that truly stands out and drives remarkable results. You can always reach out to us for a free consultation on defining your scope as well as the required workforce for your project.

Dicom Interactive is one of the top boutique website and software development with offices located in Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam and Melbourne – Australia, with over 15 years experience in the business. 

Five reasons to choose Dicom Interactive for your next web development project:

• Dicom has a proven track record of delivering high-quality web development solutions for various clients across different industries and domains. Dicom has successfully completed over 500 projects, ranging from simple websites to complex web applications, with a 95% customer satisfaction rate.
• Dicom has a talented and experienced team of web consultants, web developers, designers, testers, and project managers, who are well-versed in the latest technologies and best practices. Dicom's team can handle any web development challenge, from front-end to back-end, from UI/UX to SEO, from WordPress to React, and more.
• Dicom offers cost-effective and flexible web development services, tailored to the client's specific needs and budget. Dicom can provide full-stack web development, or focus on specific aspects of the project, such as design, development, testing, or maintenance. Dicom can also work as an extension of the client's in-house team, or as an independent contractor.
• Dicom follows an agile and collaborative approach to web development, ensuring timely delivery and customer satisfaction. Dicom communicates regularly with the client, providing updates, feedback, and suggestions throughout the project. Dicom also adapts to changing requirements and expectations, ensuring that the final product meets or exceeds the client's expectations.
• Dicom values data security and intellectual property protection, adhering to strict standards and protocols. Dicom uses secure servers, encryption, backups, and firewalls to safeguard the client's data and code. Dicom also signs non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and respects the client's confidentiality and privacy.

We have been working on a variety of projects across the continents, with focus on education, transportation, entertainment, game, healthcare, insurance, food & beverage, automobile, and travel industry. We can help you achieve your online marketing objectives such as improving web rankings, CRM, traffic,  and conversions…

Let's contact us and talk about how we can work together to make your website stand out.

Check our Services and Portfolio here.

Dicom Interactive