The online marketplace is a marketplace like any other.

This means there are competitors out there, and you must do your best to be better than those competitors. 

But, often, being better isn’t quite enough. You need to actively set your business — and your website — apart from the competition. 

Let’s examine the key points of difference that influence buyer decisions online and what you can do to get ahead. 

How do buyers choose which company website to visit? 

Availability and visibility: SEO is still crucial in 2020 as the first five results on the first page of Google still account for over 67% of total clicks. Brand visibility across social media, search engine results and across all other spheres are still very important. 

Word-of-mouth reputation: Recommendations from family and friends are important to customers, but 91% of millennials now say that they trust online reviews at least as much. This kind of reputation stems from things like product quality and levels of customer service. 

Customer experience: By the end of 2020, it is estimated that 86% of buyers will opt to pay more to enjoy a better experience. This needs to be reflected in your web design. 

Communication: Webpages are no longer static representations of companies. They are portals through which support and assistance can, and should, be delivered. 

Price: Competitive pricing is still important, but less so than it once was. Nowadays, product quality and experience rank above price in terms of what customers value. 

These are some of the key battlegrounds you need to keep in mind as you design your webpage. 

How do you optimise these points of difference on your website? 

Here are some of the key ways you can optimise your page for traffic and then keep that traffic on your site. 

  • Get serious about on-page SEO: There are many ways in which you can improve your SEO, alongside the traditional keywords and content. Optimising page loading times, managing broken links and orphan pages, and providing easy navigation are all highly effective. 
  • Focus on a high-quality product and high levels of support: You can’t write reviews yourself, so make your product and support the best they can be. 
  • Step up your social media game: Reach out on social media and put your business at the heart of the conversation. 
  • Provide points of interaction and support throughout your navigation: Use live chat and automated bots to provide close support to your customers as and when they need it. 
  • Make experience and interaction design a priority: Get to know your customers and start catering to their needs with your website design. 

Make sure your website is a leader in your field, and you will be rewarded with increased revenue and better customer loyalty in the long term.