Customer engagement is Internet gold — it’s what any serious business wants for its website, and what you want for yours. While web design can be a bit technical at times, there are 5 simple, concrete pieces of content customers expect you to have on your business website, and if they’re not there, they’ll move on. Make sure you include these things on yours.

5 Key Things Your Customers Expect to See on Your Business Website

1. Clear, eye-catching contact information. You want people to be able to contact you if they’re interested in your business, so your info has to be in a visible place. The three most frequent spots are at the top, in the sidebar, or at the bottom. However, to lower the risk of your customers overlooking it, it may be better to place the info at the top or in the upper area of the sidebar.

It’s always best to put the most important information above the fold (the “fold” is the middle of the webpage). Since many web surfers are in such a hurry, they scan web pages and won’t necessarily check the lower half.

2. An image of you and/or your staff on your “About” page. Most people are visual, especially when browsing the Internet, and being able to see the faces behind your business provides a warm connection for them. It gives them a better idea of who they’re dealing with, which is an important deciding factor in parting with their money.

Oh, don’t forget to say “cheese”. People are more receptive to a smiling face. 🙂

3. A call to action. Make it clear what you want your customers to do. Ask. If you’re selling a product, make sure they know you want them to buy it. If you’re offering a service, make sure they know they can buy it from you. If your site is a blog and you want the readers to leave a comment or spread the word about a blog post for you, ask them to share the post on their social networks or leave a comment at the end of the post.

Without a call to action, people will read and move on. They can’t read your mind, and they’re not going to assume anything. You have to tell them what you want from them.

4. Simple, brief copy. Unless you’re in the world of computers, programming, medicine, or science, your customers expect your written content to be quick and simple. In today’s mobile world, people are constantly on the go, so when they arrive at your website, they want to know what your company’s about and what it can do for them in as few and easily understood words as possible.

If phrasing your written content in simpler, smaller words is a challenge for you, hire a ghostwriter or ghost blogger to do it for you.

5. Testimonials. Another important deciding factor in your customers’ willingness to spend money on you is your track record. You know the power word-of-mouth has on consumers, and testimonials are the online version of that. If people can see your product or service has improved other people’s lives, they’ll more likely purchase it.

What other content elements do you think a business website needs? What do you have on yours? Share them with us in a comment below.

_{Flickr photo by Johan Larsson.}