5 Web Design Tips for a Local Audience
Different people from different locations have different tastes and preferences. A person from Texas might not have the same expectations from a business as a person from London. That’s why it is important to design your website based on the people you target. If you want to reach a local, niche audience, you must alter your marketing strategies significantly. One of the first things to change or work on is the website design.
Having a website with a local focus can give you an edge over the competition, especially if the competition has a broader focus. There are ways to make a website much more appealing to your local audience. Some of these techniques are mentioned in this article.
- Determine Your Website’s Intent and Purpose
Before you start working on a design, it is important to understand the intent and purpose of the website. This will give you a target to reach with your platform. Create a list of priorities that suit your goal of reaching a personal audience.
You can determine the intent and purpose of your website by creating a target audience profile and studying it. That will allow you to understand your audience enough to create an appealing portal.
You should also create a thorough brand profile to ensure your website represents your brand well.
Without both of these factors, you can lose your way and create a generic looking site. Local business is a highly competitive field. You can’t afford to fade into the background with a website that has no clear direction or target.
Once you have your target audience persona and branding right, it is easy to create a website tailored to your local audience.
- Optimize for Brick and Mortar
Local businesses are often brick and mortar establishments. They want prospective customers to visit their website because they want those visitors to come to their store. The conversion path of such visitors is much more complex, which is why you need to optimize for brick and mortar.
It is a good idea to provide users with a straightforward user experience. The goal isn’t always to keep the prospective customer on the website for as long as possible. You want to compel them to visit your store. Here are some tips to consider:
- Place all the important information above the fold to ensure visitors can see it immediately.
- Make sure your company message and purpose is immediately visible as well.
- Create a hero image at the top of the homepage. This shows authority and competence immediately, that can lead to more conversions.
- Make sure the website navigation is easy and reliable. The primary focus of the website navigation is to compel people to experience the products or services personally.
Unless your business is completely web-based and doesn’t require real-life visits to a store, these points can help. If you have an e-commerce site along with a brick and mortar business, find the right balance in design.
- Incorporate the Local Vibe to Website Design
Every local community has something unique and special to offer. For example, the vibe and style of Miami are completely different from the vibe and style of New York City. If you truly want to connect with your audience, including the local vibe can help. Here are some tips that can help:
- Choose colors that represent your local community well. That can be a favorite sports team color, colors that suit the local environment, or something similar.
- Include imagery that is recognizable and means something to the local people. For example, websites based in Northern California might include images of lush greenery or vineyards. Websites based in London might include an English cityscape.
- Don’t hesitate to use local language and jargon in your written content. That will help you establish a deeper connection with your audience.
Taking these extra steps will help you gain more conversions. You will also be able to establish a relationship of trust with your target audience.
- Add a Map
As mentioned before, most local businesses want to direct their online traffic to their brick and mortar establishments. It is important to make this transition as easy as possible for prospective customers.
You can do that by adding a map to your homepage. This map will provide clear directions to your store or office location. Map works well for a mobile audience as they can easily load it on a Map app and follow the directions to your store.
It is also a good idea include a clickable phone number. This allows visitors to call directly instead of wasting time copying the number. Map and a click-to-dial number bridge the gap between the real world and the internet. They do so without harming the user experience.
Make sure your map blends in with the style of your website. It is also important to ensure all location information is accurate. Check the Map pin, connected phone number, and listed address carefully. If there are errors in the contact information, correct them before including the info in your website.
- Create Separate Local Pages
It is possible to take advantage of local marketing even if you don’t have a local presence. If your business draws customers from different locations or has offices in different towns, create separate local pages.
This allows you to provide location-specific information to prospective customers. You can also use long-tail local keywords and draw a niche audience. Make sure the local pages follow the tips mentioned above. They must have local content and should have the town’s vibe.
Create content and imagery that fits in well, but ensure all pages have clear branding. It is important to maintain a consistent brand presence throughout your website. Strike a good balance between local content and brand imagery for the best results.
These tips will help create a local-focused website. You can reach out to a local audience and develop a good customer based. Just pair a great website with a good marketing campaign.
