For today’s brands, a website is more than an online brochure—it’s a powerful tool for attracting and converting prospective customers. By making some strategic updates to its website, a company can foster deeper connections with customers, improve the user experience and significantly boost conversion rates.
Whether it’s by refining messaging, adding interactive elements or focusing on a more user-centric design, making certain changes can quickly help a site stand out in a crowded market. Here, 18 members of Forbes Agency Council share impactful ways to revamp a business website to capture the attention of more potential customers.
1. Make A Personally Relatable First Impression
Consider how to help your site’s visitors relate to your brand as if it were a person. Identify how to position your products and services in ways that are accessible and relatable. For our storytelling agency, we always want to give an emotionally evocative first impression, and so we often focus on compelling photography and language that sparks curiosity and more conversation on how we can help. – Samantha Reynolds, ECHO Storytelling Agency
2. Invest In A Unique POV
Abandon the same old predictable language. Your brand strategy is about more than a logo or website page design. Invest in a unique point of view that carries across all channels. Your website will distinguish you, rather than bury you in the pack. – Adam Taylor, Splendor
3. Incorporate Visual Storytelling
One impactful change a business could make to its website is incorporating high-quality visuals and compelling storytelling. Strong imagery, engaging videos and authentic customer testimonials create an emotional connection and build trust. When potential customers can see themselves using your product or service, they’re more likely to engage, stay longer and convert into loyal buyers. – Marilyn Cowley, PREM – PR & Social
4. Prioritize Clear, Authentic Messaging
Make your website more engaging by refining messaging, showcasing authenticity and enhancing the user journey. Ensure your value proposition is clear and easy to grasp. Use real customer stories to build trust. Prioritize intuitive navigation and seamless interactions. Ditch generic stock photos for real, behind-the-scenes content to create a relatable and compelling brand. – Boris Dzhingarov, ESBO ltd
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5. Shift From Selling Products To Prescribing Solutions
Shift from selling products to prescribing solutions—like a doctor. People buy relief, not features. Diagnose their pain first, then position your product as the cure. Use emotional triggers, social proof and storytelling to connect with the amygdala, the brain’s decision center. Simplify action steps—“Get a Free Diagnosis” works better than “Sign Up.” Make it easy, emotional and irresistible. – Qamar Zaman, KISSPR Brand Story Press Release Distribution
6. Highlight Your CSR
Businesses can and should put information about their corporate social responsibility on their website. For law firms, this often looks like highlighting educational sponsorships or discounted services to veterans. Especially important to younger customers, showing that your business helps make the world a better place makes people happier and more eager to spend their hard-earned money with your brand. – Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design
7. Write Website Copy From A ‘Why’ Perspective
Businesses have a tendency to write website copy from a “what” perspective instead of a “why” perspective. Customers don’t buy what you sell; they buy why you sell it. For example, instead of explaining all of your service or product features on your site, write copy that explains why it will benefit the end consumer. Making this simple change on websites can dramatically increase conversions. – William Gasner, Stack Influence
8. Create Behavior-Driven Web Content
A brand’s website should never be a collection of content. To be more appealing to customers, it would first be necessary to evaluate their needs. Then, outline a series of behaviors you want your customer to take on the website. Finally, creating sets of behavior sequences will help your customers accomplish what is important to them, resulting in your end objective. – Roger Hurni, Off Madison Ave
9. Speak To People, Not At Them
Too many websites feel like cold, digital brochures—functional but forgettable. The one most impactful change you can make? Inject personality. Rewrite your copy in a way that speaks to people, not at them. Show the faces behind the brand. Add storytelling, real-world proof and a sense of warmth that makes visitors feel something. – Gully Flowers, ALSO KNOWN AS
10. A/B Test Headlines And CTAs
A/B test homepage headlines and calls to action to ensure they instantly communicate what makes your brand unique. For example, brands that clearly highlight a key differentiator above the fold can increase conversions. – Christina Mendel, ChristinaMendel.com
11. Infuse Your Site With Brand Personality
Beyond a unique value proposition, infuse your website with genuine brand personality. Let your character shine through your visuals, copy and user experience. Define your brand traits and let them guide you. Embrace authentic storytelling, playful language and unique design. Personalize micro interactions. A memorable experience fosters connections and drives conversions. In a generic online world, personality makes you stand out. – Lars Voedisch, PRecious Communications
12. Add Customer Testimonials To The Homepage
One change I’d recommend is adding real customer stories or testimonials right on the homepage. When I see honest experiences from people who’ve benefited from a brand, it builds instant trust. It makes the brand feel more like a community I can be a part of, not just a product I’m buying. – Robert Nikic, Why Unified
13. Include Interactive Assessments
Adding a questionnaire or an assessment that guides a client through a brand’s products or services significantly improves the client’s experience and allows the brand to establish strong relationships with the client from the beginning. This site element helps clients get what they need and demonstrates a company’s transparent internal business processes, contributing to its positive image. – Oksana Matviichuk, OM Strategic Forecasting
14. Use Dynamic Social Proof
By using dynamic social proof, you can turn your website from a digital brochure into a strategic conversion engine. Show purchase alerts, real-time consumer interactions and genuine reviews that change as the visitor progresses. Using psychological triggers that take advantage of group validation generates urgency, fosters trust and converts passive browsers into active customers. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
15. Optimize Colors, Fonts And User Flow
Use colors and fonts that resonate with your audience. If you’re guiding users based on personas, customize the experience. And remove friction—nothing is more frustrating than a site that makes simple tasks difficult. Ensure content leads to the right destination. If using forms or pop-ups, don’t let them disrupt key actions. A seamless, intuitive experience keeps users engaged and converts better. – Jacquelyn LaMar Berney, VI Marketing and Branding
16. Streamline Product Categorization
Batch products and services to make finding them more streamlined. A clothing brand might sell men’s graphic shirts, button-downs, polos and so on, for example. Creating categories like “dress,” “casual” and “business casual” will help customers find what they need faster. This approach also lets brands use “pain point” language customers may use to search the site when they are unsure of the exact style they want. – Bernard May, National Positions
17. Enhance Search Functionality
Adding a robust search function enhances the user experience by putting information at customers’ fingertips. An intuitive, AI-powered search reduces friction, making it easier to find products, resources and FAQs instantly. This boosts engagement and reinforces brand credibility, ensuring potential customers stay longer and convert faster. – Amy Packard Berry, Sparkpr
18. Show Visitors Actual Results
Seeing is believing. Showing actual results on your company website is extremely important and appealing to potential customers. For PR firms, it’s showing potential customers exactly what coverage you’re able to achieve. It’s one thing to say something; it’s yet another thing to actually show it. When potential customers see what you can do for them, they start to visualize a future with you in it. – Ayelet Noff, SlicedBrand