Successful websites enable your customers to find information on your website quickly and easily. A recent study by the Boston Consulting Group found that 45% of visitors to a business web site abandon the site due to poor navigation, slow download times or confusing content. Make sure your site follows these guidelines for success:

1. Easy to use
Customers want simplicity. A well designed, easy to use web site should be focused on helping the customer achieve their goals. Successful web sites focus on making the design fit the user instead of the user fitting the design.

2. Easy to learn
Customers expect a consistent site layout that is intuitive and easy to remember. A customer will not invest the time in learning how to use your web site. When a customer starts clicking through your site, they need to know where they are, where they can go, and how they can get back to where they started.

3. Quick to download
Slow performance (taking too long to download pages) is the most commonly experienced problem with the web. Recent studies have shown that long download times can result in customer stress, annoyance, frustration and impatience. Web sites should be designed to download quickly by minimizing large images and file downloads.

4. Updated frequently
The web has an advantage over printed materials in that content can be revised on a weekly, daily or hourly basis at a minimal cost. Ensuring that your web site content is up to date encourages customers to stay on your site longer and gives them a reason to return. As a result, these customers are also more likely to share their positive experience with others.

5. Quality content
Web sites should provide accurate and relevant content that is useful to your customers. Company announcements, career opportunities or the launch of a new product can provide an opportunity for you to educate and connect with your customers about your business.

6. Professional design
Many times your customer’s first interaction with your company is through your web site, and you only have one chance to make a positive first impression. An amateur looking site can quickly send your customers to your competitor’s web site. Make sure your site is making the most of that crucial first encounter with a professional web site design.

7. Relevant to a customers needs
The key to a successful web site is providing a positive customer experience. Customers visit your web site to achieve a specific goal or task. As a result, your web site should be designed to exceed the goals and expectations of your customers.

8. Achieves business goals
A web site should provide a measurable benefit to your business and should be part of your overall marketing plan. There are a variety of methods to measure the success of a web site, including a reduction in costs, increased profits, increased brand awareness and improved customer satisfaction.

Your website is an integral part of your company’s overall marketing plan. By following these eight guidelines, you can develop a successful website for your customers.