There are many trains of thought about how to best judge the quality of a website. With so many types of site from so many different industries it can be hard to define what makes a website a success. Whilst thinking back over a youth in retail, and selling diamonds I could only ever dream of, it struck me that the differentiating features that define a good diamond also apply to websites. In the words of Rhianna does your website ‘ shine bright like a diamond’?
The 4C’s in the world of diamonds refer to Colour, Clarity, Cut, and Carat. So how can these help with thinking about your website?
Colour
This relates to the design of your website. What colours have you used? Have you balanced your text with images? Are your images impactful and your text engaging? Much like the colour of a diamond, the design of your website has the biggest initial impression on your visitors. You do not have long to make a great first impression so make sure your website looks great and visitors are going to be drawn in.
Clarity
This relates to the content on your website. Is it clear to visitors what you offer and why they should choose your product or service? You need to ensure that there is clarity in your content, visitors will be put off if they have to work hard to find what they need. Understanding your target audience is key here. What content will engage and encourage them to come back? What is the key information that a potential customer will want to see? Search engines are also very interested in your content, so making it not only engaging for visitors but optimised for search engines is key to getting your website found in the first place.
Cut
In terms of your website this is about the structure. The user experience of your site is vital to delivering a positive experience for your users. Is your site easy to navigate? Do you have a clear path that you want your users to follow? Make sure you walk through your site with the eyes of a user who has not visited your site previously. Can you find the content you want easily? Are you guided through the site they way you intended? Your site structure is also important for your search engine ranking, Google in particular will pay attention to your sitemap and the way that your content is interlinked.
Carat
When it comes to diamonds and websites alike size does matter. Having a well populated site with regular fresh content will appeal to both users and search engines. An informative site will keep your users engaged and having a regular fresh content will keep them coming back. Search engines will also rate your site on how much content you produce. By consistently posting fresh content and therefore growing the size of your site you are showing the search engines that your site is alive.
Like a diamond, websites have many facets and it is impossible to have one single formula that fits all. This is just another way of looking at your website, there are many other methods that can be used. The importance of analytics should never be underestimated, and you should monitor and update on a regular basis to find what works best for your website. If you would like to discuss any aspect of your website content or design then get in touch with us today.