Is your business website customer-friendly?

You've launched a business website, but customers aren't flocking to purchase your online offerings. Why not? For some companies, tweaking an already inviting webpage may be sufficient. Other business websites may require a complete overhaul. If traffic to your homepage isn't trending upward, consider the following tried-and-true guidelines:

• Keep it simple. Flashing fonts, animated gifs, lengthy product videos — website designers may love them, but customers don't. Bells and whistles tend to distract. And your webpage shouldn't drone on with large blocks of text. Use short paragraphs, easily scanned bullet points and a few strategically placed and relevant images. Assume that your visitors are always in a hurry. Don't give them a reason to leave.

• Make the site accurate, fresh and easy to navigate. Before launching your website, fix all grammar and spelling errors. Confirm that each statement is correct. Update content frequently. Use a handful of clearly labeled tabs in your top-level menu. If the site contains several pages, make sure visitors can always get back to the homepage. Don't make them search for what they need or want.

• Don't forget mobile device users. According to a survey by marketing data company SessionM, more than 90 percent of shoppers use smartphones to compare prices and check product reviews. This is a great reason to make sure your mobile website experience is a good one. That means making sure your website is responsive (AKA works well on all devices) and relevant for users on the go.

• Focus on the customer. It's great that your company has won the latest-and-greatest awards. Do online visitors care? Tie your awards to product quality. Link sales data to testimonials of satisfied customers. To encourage trust, include a professional photo of your team. Help visitors connect with your company by making contact information easy to find.

• Minimize loading times. If you're searching for a product or service, how long are you willing to wait for a webpage to load? Three seconds? Five? Your customers are busy, too. Accelerate loading times by updating software regularly, optimizing graphics and employing hosting services that cater to your bandwidth needs.

The business information contained in this site is of a general nature and should not be acted upon in your specific situation without further details and/or professional assistance.