FACT: According to data from the Hinge Research Institute, 80% of buyers look at a company’s website to see if they want to reach out to them.

1. Start with the basics. Don’t force visitors to guess where information is located on your site or make the font hard to read. Keep the design clean and uncluttered, make the tabs visible and be conversational rather than formal in your tone.

2. Be clear on your site who you serve best. If you want to be seen as a brand partner and an extension of your clients’ marketing team, emphasize it with your tagline, imagery, blog posts, testimonials and case studies. This may help weed out those who just want a quick order at the lowest price.

3. Focus on education. Visitors want answers to their problems. Make sure info is the driving force of your site rather than a sales pitch. Have how-tos, white papers, research studies and webinars, and keep them in an easy-to-locate “resources” tab. Refresh content periodically.

4. More likely than not, your prospects are searching for products using their smartphones. If your site isn’t mobile-optimized, they won’t be staying long to look around. Be certain your site is fully functional and easy to navigate on mobile devices, including phones and tablets.