Improve your website

While most websites have more than one purpose, it's important to be clear on your site's main purpose. The improvements you make should support this purpose.

The main purpose of a website could be to:

• generate sales. These websites need selling and payment functions to promote and sell products and services. Read more about selling and taking payments online
• encourage other actions, like:
  • visiting a physical store
  • signing up for newsletters
  • making enquiries
• provide information about your business to potential customers
• raise brand awareness, communicating branding information as an indirect selling method
• deliver services, for example, through video streaming.

Website improvements should support your business brand. This will ensure that your website forms part of consistent, identifiable communication with your customers. Ensure your website improvements are in line with your branding across all platforms, both digital (e.g. social media) and physical (e.g. your store interior).

To align website improvements with your brand, consider:

• naming conventions—title and label all plugins and features are in a style that suits your existing branding profile
• colours, style and feel—match all website elements, including images and headings, with existing branding.

Read more about business branding.

When selecting improvements, consider legal aspects such as:

• privacy, and data collection and protection—new plugins must come from trusted sources, meet your business's privacy policy, and have inbuilt security and protections to meet legal requirements
• copyright and intellectual property—website assets should be licensed or obtained from open-source sites to ensure your business isn't infringing on copyright or intellectual property rights
• accessibility requirements—the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth) requires anyone who provides goods or services over the internet to make the information on their website accessible to people with a disability. For example, people who are visually or hearing impaired might not be able to access information in images and videos. If your videos and images contain essential information, provide the information in text format as well. Also consider font sizes, styles and colours to make content more accessible. Read more about web accessibility.

Read more about legal obligations for online businesses.

• Website-development platforms: The website builder you used to build your website may offer plugins.
• Third-party plugins: You can find many free and paid plugins online. It's easiest to use plugins specifically designed for your content management system or website builder, but there are many compatible options on the market. Content management sites like WordPress will allow a simple search and install function for different plugins. (WordPress is one example, but many providers are available, so ask your business contacts for recommendations or do a web search for 'content management systems' to find a product that meets your specific needs.)
• Do it yourself (DIY): If you have coding experience and use a platform like WordPress, you can create plugins to meet your specific needs.
• Do it for me (DIFM): Your website developer may be able to code a custom plugin for you or install and configure third-party plugins. Using a website developer may be the best option if you:
  • need a custom plugin
  • don't feel comfortable selecting and installing plugins yourself.

There are many different types of website plugins available. Below are some examples of plugins and how they can improve your site and support your business.

There are many free sites that offer photos and videos with creative commons licences. Before using these assets, make sure you understand creative commons licences and how to give attribution (acknowledgement) to the owner or creator.

Use these phrases to search online:

• free stock images and videos
• public domain images
• royalty-free images.

Some content creators showcase and sell their work through creative marketplace sites. On these sites you can buy pre-built, ready-to-use visual assets and plugins. Ready-to-use assets can reduce website development time and costs.

Do a web search for 'creative marketplace' or 'creative assets'.

A freelance marketplace is an online network of professionals who work in a freelance capacity. You can hire freelance professionals to create custom website assets for your business and brand.

Do a web search for 'freelance marketplace'.

Using content creators in your area allows you to:

• have face-to-face consultations
• build a long-term relationship with someone who understands your area and market
• work with a person who has experience in your market.

Use a web search to find your local creators.

Creating your own website assets may be more affordable or align with your business brand and style.

It's important to ensure the quality of assets remains high to give your website a professional finish.

Tips for creating website assets

• Photos:
  • use a clear, bright space and visually appealing items
  • avoid images that are dark, blurry, pixelated, or too busy.
• Video:
  • use sharp video with good lighting and clear sound
  • don't use jumpy or shaky footage.
• Sound/music:
  • use clear sounds that align with your business's theme and play at an acceptable default volume
  • give your customers the option to press play instead of having music run on auto-play. Loud, unexpected sounds can be disruptive
  • don't use distracting background noises and excessively loud clips.
• Graphics:
  • use graphics that reflect your branding and colours
  • use fonts (lettering) that are easy to read
  • convey 1 clear message per graphic
  • don't add lots of deals or specials on a single graphic
  • avoid colour combinations that make it hard to read.