Over the next few weeks, join us for a crash course on the traits of a website that’s in the right decade! First up this week, user-friendly design.

For potential clients, one of the biggest turnoffs is a website that’s confusing to navigate. This applies to all professions, not just the funeral profession. Especially now as we adjust to the new normal, more people are visiting businesses virtually rather than in person.  

Imagine someone is deciding between two restaurants. When visiting the first restaurant’s website, they must pinch and drag their phone screen to see the content. They quickly become frustrated and visit the second restaurant’s website instead. On their website, everything is easy to read and navigate for placing an order. So, which restaurant did they choose? I think you know the answer.

The same goes for your funeral home’s website. If your website isn’t user-friendly but your competitor’s website is, you may be missing out on potential client families. But, don’t just take our word for it.

Below are a few statistics to support this: 

1. 94% of wary respondents attributed their uneasiness to the website’s design. 
2. It takes about 50 milliseconds for users to form an opinion about your website. 
3. 57% of internet users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website on mobile. 

As you can see, old out-of-date websites are confusing to navigate, but websites in the right decade are user-friendly. There are more features than just the design that makes a website in the right decade, but that’s the foundation for it.

Below let’s go over what three features contribute to a user-friendly website experience. 

Your Funeral Home’s Website Should Have a Responsive Design 

First off, to make sure everyone’s on the same page, let’s go over what a responsive design means. To put it simply, it means that your website responds to all device types. Whether someone is viewing your website from a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, they’ll have a great user experience. With more funeral planning happening online, a responsive design is a must-have.

Now more than ever, your website is the first impression families have of your business. You only get one first impression, so make sure it counts! When visiting your website, the design is the first thing they’ll notice. Even if you have carefully crafted content and innovative tools, if your design is confusing and unattractive, they’ll never see them because they’ll go elsewhere. For at-need families, a non-responsive design is even more frustrating. They don’t need that added stress during an already overwhelming time, so make things a little easier for them by having an easy-to-navigate website. 

One lesser-known benefit of switching to a responsive design is that it can help boost your funeral home’s search engine optimization. Search engines like Google prefer websites with responsive designs, so your funeral home’s website may appear higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). The higher your SERP ranking, the more likely potential client families are to click on and visit your website. 

Your Funeral Home’s Website Should Have an Interactive Obituary Experience 

With an interactive obituary, it can serve as a place of healing and support. Besides viewing their loved one’s obituary and service details, loved ones can have an online memorial that lasts forever. That’s why Frazer-powered websites have Tribute Walls. 

Tribute Walls are designed to be simple to navigate and engage with others. Family and friends can share memories and condolences, post photos and videos, leave symbols, and light virtual candles. They also can easily share their loved one’s obituary or condolence message to social media to help spread the word about their loved one’s passing and memorial page. Your staff can even print off the condolences and give them to families as a meaningful keepsake PDF. 

If your staff created a Tribute Video or is live streaming the funeral, you can add these to their Tribute Wall with just a few clicks. This way, even those who can’t attend the funeral in person can still attend virtually or watch it later. Another way loved ones can show their support is with funeral flowers and memorial trees. They can conveniently order funeral flowers or plant a memorial tree directly on their loved one’s Tribute Wall. If their loved one has chosen charities for donations, they can view these options, too. 

Your Website Should Be Customized to Reflect Your Funeral Home’s Mission 

Like we mentioned earlier, your website represents your funeral home‘s brand. People want to do business with people they know and trust. After viewing your website, they should have a better understanding of your mission, what makes you unique, and most importantly, why they should choose you for their death care needs.  

For example, you can add a history section to your website to give families some insight into who you are. If you have a long history in your community, make sure they know that! Or, if you’re new to the area, let them know that you’re excited to learn more about what makes the community special. On your staff page, don’t be afraid to add short bios about your staff. You can include professional accomplishments, but also include their hobbies and passions. 

With a Frazer-powered website, our talented team will help make sure your funeral home’s brand is reflected. Through the color scheme, fonts, imagery, logo, and other design elements, they’ll make sure your website represents who you are and what makes you unique. 

Not sure if your funeral home’s website passes the test? Download our free checklist to find out!