4 Website Optimization Questions You’ve Always Wanted Answered

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, I was never afraid to ask questions.

“Why is the sky blue?” “How do birds fly?” “Why does grandma smell funny?” The ever-dreaded, “Where do babies come from?”

Back then, there was no such thing as a bad or “stupid” question, but let’s face it, somewhere along the road to adulthood, curiosity seems to have gotten a bad rap.

People, both professionally and personally, are often afraid to ask questions, thinking that they will be judged or that, perhaps, they should already know the answer.

But as a marketer (and as a human being), you should always be learning. The easiest way to do that is to simply ask a question.

Last month during our Website Throwdown (the next one is coming up on August 18th, by the way), these four questions came up multiple times during the broadcast.

At first glance, the questions seemed simple, but it quickly became clear that the answers were far from it, so we decided to send them out into the Twitterverse to hear why others had to say in our first ever #IMPACTMailBag.

Question #1: Why is Mobile Optimization so important for a business' website?

With 25% of all Americans only accessing the internet from their mobile devices, more people than ever are likely to visit your website on-the-go.

Mobile Optimization is about making sure that when they do, it’s a pleasant, hassle-free experience where they can easily find and do what they need to.

As a business, you want to make sure every interaction someone has with your brand is a good one -- that includes visiting your website from their phones or tablets.

According to MarginMedia, “48% of users say that if they arrive on a business site that isn't working well on mobile, they take it as an indication of the business simply not caring.”

If your website is not optimized, you can end up looking dated and disconnected from your audience. Furthermore, a glitchy or difficult to navigate experience can also lead to frustrated buyers, bounced traffic, and ultimately even lost business.

Explore your buyer habits and make an investment in your mobile presence. There are a variety of optimization options available to fit any industry, timeline, and budget. Learn more about them here or check out the post David Miller of Openwave Computing shared with us on Twitter as well.

Question #2: How small is too small for your website font?

Via Twitter, Amy Cocke told us that if her parents can’t read your font without putting on their reading glasses, then it’s probably too small, and to a degree, she’s not wrong.

When it comes to choosing your font size, keep your buyer persona in mind. You want to choose a size that your audience can comfortably read depending on their lifestyle and habits.

For example, if your buyer is over 50, you may want to opt for a larger font that won’t require them to go hunting for their reading glasses, like Amy’s parents.

If you are reluctant to make the change for stylistic reasons, work with your designer. They will have the expertise and eye to incorporate the change in a way that is tasteful and still consistent with your brand.

Question #3: Should you use personal or stock photography on your homepage?

Like Alaina and Gwen explained, if you have the option, it’s always better to use original photography rather than stock on your homepage and website in general.

Original, personal photography offers an authentic peek into your office’s actual routine and team’s surroundings. It helps humanize your brand and paints a realistic picture of what potential clients can expect when working with you.

Stock photos, on the other hand, are often cliche and easy to spot. With them, you run the risk of choosing an image that has already been used thousands of times across the web (possibly even by a competitor) and looking unoriginal.

Note: If you must turn to stock photos, try using more obscure sources like StocksyUnited or even one of these options.

Using Original Photos

Personal photos are great, but don’t go throwing any old iPhone photo up as your hero image.

Make sure that your original photos are crisp, clear, high-resolution, and well-staged (no messy offices and workspaces, please.)

Using photos that are small, blurry, poorly lit, or badly-staged can make your company look unprofessional and small scale. Depending on the nature of your business, they can also give your audience the impression that you don’t care about quality or your public image. (Definitely, not the first impression you want to make when starting a B2B relationship.)

Question #4: What makes a value proposition really strong?

Crafting a strong value proposition is an artform. Those that are the most compelling and successful combine all of the aspects noted by our friends on Twitter in one concise, memorable statement. In other words, a truly strong value proposition resonates with your audience while effectively communicating:

• What do you do

• Who do you serve

• How do you do it differently

With these three factors in mind, sit down with your team and explore ways to capture all of them in a short sentence. Once you have this foundation, wordsmithing it into something powerful and memorable will be far easier.