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The post 5 Ways Your Website Could Be Better appeared first on HostGator Web Hosting Blog | Gator Crossing . If you’re looking for ideas on how to increase traffic, gain more online customers, and improve your brand reputation online, look no further. We’ve put together a helpful list that outlines ten ways your website could be better. If you’re just not getting what you’ve been hoping to get out of your website, consider the following:   It could be responsive. Responsive websites use flexible and fluid layouts that adapt to almost any screen. According to a recent Forbes article , responsive web design is a “design approach that enables Web designers and developers to build and maintain a single website to serve to all kinds of devices: smartphones, tablets, laptops and more.” As more and more consumers continue to use their smartphones as the primary way they shop, read their news, interact with friends, and document their lives, it’s even more important than ever for businesses to make their websites as mobile-friendly as possible. For many businesses in recent years, the movement toward mobile meant they had to design and launch a completely separate mobile site for their business. Responsive design offers a way for businesses to build one website that consumers can view from a variety of different devices (iPad, laptop, desktop, iPhone) and browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Safari). If you aren’t using a responsive design for your website, consider doing so. With a responsive design, you can feel confident that your consumers are able to visit your website throughout the entire buying process. In the same Forbes artilce, an expert explains how the buying process can work for a business that uses a responsive website: “With a responsive website, businesses can be in front of consumers at every step of their online journey. People who search for a business’ site, begin reading content and viewing videos from their desktop computers at work, and then look for the same business on their smartphones during lunch are able to continue their research into products and services uninterrupted.”   It could be more social. If you haven’t already, you need to integrate social media into your website. At the very least this means adding links and buttons that direct visitors to the social media sites your business has an active presence on (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, etc). If you really want to impress your customers and prospective clients however, spend time making your site more social across the board. To get started, embed your Facebook and Twitter feeds onto your homepage or blog sidebar. Next, add social share buttons to your pages and blog posts. You can do this easily by using the service AddThis provides. Finally, add the ability for visitors to comment or log into your website using their Facebook account.   It could include more visuals. According to HubSpot , 40% of people will respond better to visual information than plain text. If the only visuals you’re using on your website are stock photos and clipart, it’s time for an upgrade. It shouldn’t be too hard to recognize that consumers prefer visual content. Sites like Facebook and Twitter have invested heavily in the last few years into making updates to their sites that have made for a much more visual experience for users. Your website should include original photos and videos that help your customers understand who you are, what you sell, and why they should buy. Your visuals should also help educate your prospective customers and leverage you as an influencer—someone who can help solve their problems.  To start adding more visual content to your site, experiment with a few of the tools listed here .   It could include enticing Call-To-Actions. If the high traffic to your website isn’t converting into sales, it might be because your site lacks effective call-to-actions (CTAs). According to Hubspot, “CTAs are what motivate and direct your visitors to take a desired action. They bridge the gap between anonymous website visitors and marketable leads.” CTAs are what help move your prospects down your sales funnel. With them, you can transform passive website visitors into loyal customers. To start creating and using effective call-to-actions, follow the tips we outlined in this blog post .   It could feature testimonials or case studies from clients and partners. As competition online continues to intensify, you need to be going out of your way to prove to consumers that they should be interacting with your business and purchasing your products or services. One way to do this is by highlighting real and true success stories from your clients and partners. Consumers online will appreciate how passionate you are about your products and services, but they’ll give more weight to genuine statements from other people who have benefited from working with you. If you currently are not featuring any testimonials (text or video) or case studies on your website, make a goal of collecting and publishing at least three on your website before the end of the calendar year. Reach out to your most loyal customers and ask them if they would be willing to participate.   Your website should be more than just a static billboard on the internet. Thanks to the popularity of the internet, it’s never been easier to connect with new prospects. But it takes work. If you truly are interested in increasing traffic, gaining more online customers, and improving your brand reputation online, start working to implement some of the recommendations outlined above. Continue reading →