Most websites work fine—technically. But, if we’re being honest, it takes more than just “good enough” to grab users’ attention and keep them around to convert. We’ve all seen websites with the information we technically need but without the special something that makes a good site great. Personality. Intuitive navigation. A better understanding of your users.
They can be easy to miss, but their impact won’t be. You might not even realize there’s a problem until your site is consistently outperformed by the competition. To help you avoid that, we’ve put together a checklist to identify what makes your website a truly effective window into your brand.
If yours is missing one or two of these elements, it’s probably time for a little update. Missing three or more? It might be time for a full overhaul—before it impacts your bottom line.
Let’s get started.
Think of a consistent design system as your website’s GPS—it keeps users on track and ensures everything they see strengthens their relationship with your brand. It builds consistent expectations and helps them recognize your brand wherever it lives.
Most of the time, the first experience users have with your brand is on your website. When it comes to brand perception, this is your chance to make a strong first impression. A well-thought-out design system doesn’t just make your website look pretty—it sets the tone for your relationship with users, and determines how they perceive your business.
If it's clean and easy to use, users will see your brand as professional and trustworthy. If it looks cheap, is slow to load, or just feels neglected, you’ll have to work twice as hard to regain their confidence.
And, importantly, this is just the baseline for building a properly competitive website in any industry.
For starters, ensure that you:
First impressions matter. Online, that means your website’s visuals have some heavy lifting to do.
Investing your budget (or, in some cases, a little more time) in professional creative assets can turn even the most basic website into one that meaningfully engages your audience.
Tips:
Let’s talk about the word “storytelling.”
You’ve probably seen it in dozens of LinkedIn thought leadership posts, right next to buzzwords like “synergy” or “value-add.”
That doesn’t mean it has nothing to offer your brand. But we need to ask ourselves: what does it take to incorporate storytelling into your website in a meaningful way?
Think of a basic story: there’s a Setup, a Conflict, and a Resolution.
The hero (and remember, your customer is the hero of the story) has something they need. They set out to get it, there’s some problem along the way, and, eventually, they find whatever they need to solve it.
Your customer’s journey on your website works the same way. Show them you understand their story—and their needs—and you give visitors a reason to care about what you do.
Take a hypothetical wine connoisseur. Maybe they’re looking for a good regional wine. They want to find a new local winery but are out of their comfort zone. Packed online storefronts are a start, but there’s a problem. They don’t paint the whole picture.
This person wants to know about the location, the winemaking process, and the vines behind every bottle. Your site, if it tells that story on the way to checkout, gives them everything they need to confidently make a purchase.
Here are a few ways to ensure your site does exactly that:
A good website feels effortless to navigate. Visitors should know exactly where to click and how to find what they’re looking for. That starts with clear navigation—simple menus, intuitive pathways, and a functional search bar. Accessibility matters, too: readable text sizes and proper color contrast are just the start of a site that’s usable for everyone. Build something inaccessible, and you’ve lost part of your audience right from the start.
Action-oriented design means guiding visitors to take the next step.
If you’re a winery, add clear buttons for buying wine, booking a tasting, or signing up for your wine club, so users always know what to do next—and always understand where a click or a tap will take them.
Imagine going to the grocery store and nothing is where it’s supposed to be. The aisles are random, nothing has a price tag, and the cashier makes you fill out a questionnaire before you can pay.
You’d absolutely leave without buying anything, right?
An online store works the same way. If your visitors can't find what they're looking for, can't sort through their preferred categories, or can't see clear descriptions and prices, they'll find another website where they can.
To keep them engaged, your store should make it easy to go from browsing to buying without your visitors having to think about it. If there are other things you want from them—like a newsletter signup, or joining a wine club—make sure to offer them something in return. At the very least, don’t put it between them and a purchase.
To keep the experience seamless:
People love it when things feel made just for them.
We all know nothing beats the feeling of your favorite coffee shop remembering your order, or Netflix finally recommending something you actually want to watch. When a website has features that make us feel seen, we’re much more likely to return the next time we’re ready to browse or buy.
Examples of smart personalization can include:
Just remember, there can be a fine line between personalized and intrusive. Don’t overdo it—your users want to feel seen, not bothered.
It’s always easier to keep existing customers around than it is to try and win new ones. When someone’s made a purchase or booked a service, they’re already invested—and you’ve gotten past the biggest hurdle to future purchases. You want to ensure that your site offers these customers something that makes them feel valued, and a reason to stick around.
For example, try offering a club membership section. It gives people a sense of belonging, rewards them for engaging with your business, and gives you an opportunity to build a stronger connection with your most loyal customers.
Try giving them perks like discounts, first dibs on new wines, or invites to special events in exchange for their membership.
But remember, these perks should feel like a bonus, not an obligation. Offering up new wines? To keep things flexible, let them choose how often they get a wine box and what’s inside. And make it easy to manage their perks with a member portal where they can update preferences or use rewards all in one place.
Updating your website shouldn’t be complicated. In fact, building a site that’s easy to maintain and optimize will pay dividends as your business grows. If your site looks great now but is a pain to update, each new event, sale, or piece of content will be an exercise in frustration for your whole team.
You should be able to add new wines, post updates, or share event details without needing tech support. In fact, it’s something Major Tom strives for on every one of our web projects—with intuitive backends, CMS training, and options for ongoing assistance.
That also means picking a platform that can grow with your business—whether you’re adding more products, reaching more customers, or using new tools. While it’s tempting to cut costs now, choosing the wrong platform can create bigger headaches down the road.
Just as importantly, make sure it tracks what matters. A built-in analytics tool helps you see what’s working (and what’s not) so you know exactly where to invest in future improvements. Keep it simple, flexible, and easy to manage.
The more connected your brand feels across every channel, the stronger it becomes.
Make it simple for visitors to follow you by linking your social media from your site, or show live feeds that provide the latest updates as they browse. Just as importantly, if there’s something a customer would want to know, don’t make them come to your site to find it. Use email newsletters to share promotions, new blog posts, member perks, and upcoming events.
Of course, it’s important to bring in new traffic, as well. Ongoing SEO ensures that your site is easy to find on Google, so be sure to use the right keywords, meta descriptions, and alt text. And remember, search algorithms aren’t static, so be sure to keep up with new trends using tools like SEMRush.
As always, it’s important that you don’t just guess what’s working—use analytics tools to see how people are finding you and what’s bringing them back.
Getting people to your website is great—but getting them to take action once they’re there is what really matters.
While there’s no single recipe for effective conversion rate optimization, you first need to understand your business goals for the site and how your customers interact with it.
Start by tracking how visitors navigate with tools like GA4, Microsoft Clarity, or Hotjar. This will help you spot what’s working and where people are getting stuck. Then, test small changes—like different page layouts, buttons, or product placements—to see what actually gets people to click, sign up, or buy.
You may not fix the problem the first time, but with the right data to inform your decisions, you’ll be raking in conversions in no time. Remember, as we like to say at Major Tom: sites are launched, not done. Plan accordingly.
Whether you’re looking to fine-tune a few details or completely overhaul your site, Major Tom is here to help. Our Web Development Team has a proven track record of building websites that both look great and actually serve your business—and your customers.
Contact us to get started—we’re ready when you are.
Think big, act bold, and let the world catch up.
