Your website is the first impression potential investors, and customers get of your business. We’ve collected the best tips followed by The Designs Zone for the perfect start-up website – and what to look out for.
Why do different rules apply to start-ups than to “conventional” websites? Why can’t you find tips on the perfect UI, the best UX, and the theoretical basics about marketing here? It’s simple: a start-up’s website develops faster. And as a founder, you have little time – and often little money to invest in expensive sites. You have to rapidly generate revenue for your business. It has to be done quickly, and you have to prove that your idea – at least in its essential features – works. And that is precisely the task of your start-up website.
The fast pace and short cycles ensure no need to work on a comprehensive corporate design or a complete company website in the initial phases; organizational behavior, mission, and vision are more important in these early phases. Anyone who wants to create a start-up on the web knows: the product itself has to be developed. Who wants to advertise something that doesn’t work yet? Correct?
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Secure a domain
As soon as you are sure that you want to take the step to start up, you should start securing domains and putting one one-pager online. It has one primary purpose: to be digitally visible to potential customers.
It is essential to use monitoring and tracking tools. What mentions on blogs or in the press releases piques visitor interest and engagement? It also tells which event was the most important? Later you will know how the product interest developed – and where it came from.
If you have provided a proof of concept, you know that your idea work technically – then it is time for the next step.
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Have a clear vision
What’s the point of your start-up website? Do you want to be admitted to an incubator to further mature your business idea? You are now beyond a simple online business card. The first question you have to ask yourself is: what is the purpose of your website? Do you want to sell the product? Start a crowdfunding campaign? Or do you want an investor?
The answer to this is not only essential for your first content strategy, but also for the appearance of your content flow diagram. If you want to find crowd investors, a corresponding call-to-action element should be sufficient. If you wish to your visitors or an incubator to participate in your vision, it will be a story that your users will notice first. Ask your friends what information they could remember after visiting the website, and what questions they have left open. Feedback such as “I wanted to participate, but couldn’t find a suitable form” or “How will the product help me?” are gold when it comes to improving your own content strategy.
Intercepting interested parties is particularly important at an early stage. So you can perhaps answer questions in the course of the conversation before the user is even aware of it – you have also established personal contact with some potential customers.
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Awesome content
Once the company website’s initial establishment has been completed, it is vital to equip the site with the right content and give it a consistent look.
Blogging is not a good idea for every company. This only makes sense if you are willing to write and update new articles regularly. This may be more worthwhile for one company than for the other; in any case, blogging takes time and forces you to spend a lot of time on your website. However, the blog can help you attract potential customer groups to your website and convince them of your brand. Combine your blog with a newsletter and offer additional value to the user. You can also communicate offers via the newsletter. Every piece of your website content should offer the user an actually added value. Describe your products and services and transparently store additional information.
You should also communicate prices as transparently as possible. This enables potential customers to find out about your offer without having to contact you. Always keep your offers up-to-date and avoid using unnecessary technical terms. You can also embellish your content with suitable images.
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Address the target group
To define the content and design of your website, you need to know your customers. Depending on the industry and customer group, visitors expect a specific appearance from your company website. In return, potential customers who visit your site should feel attracted by the content and presentation.
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Design & layout
Your website’s design should match the target group but still stand out from the direct competition. To ensure that your company can be identified, place your company logo prominently in the navigation above. In terms of color, you should orientate yourself on the logo to create a uniform web image. The actual navigation should be structured logically and give the user quick access to the most essential website content. Remember to link new content properly as well.
CONCLUSION
Always keep the content on your website up-to-date. It is not only when contact details change that it needs to be revised. If your design or logo changes, it is essential that you adapt the homepage to this. You should also regularly add new articles or update existing ones to strengthen the trust of returning users. Your website is integral to your business sustainability. Make sure you revise and renew it accordingly.