It is remarkable that someone located in another country, whom you’ve never met, could discover your website and be converted into a customer! If you’re a business owner looking to capture the attention of North American audiences with your website, today’s your lucky day!
Recognizing the region’s rich diversity and technological adeptness, we present to you 8 strategic tips to craft a website that will resonate with the North American demographic.
9 Tips to Create an Appealing North American Website
- Mobile Optimization
It’s not very shocking to know that a significant portion of North Americans are smartphone users, with 85% of American adults owning smartphones and 84% of Canadians owning smartphones.
Google found that 96% of consumers have encountered sites that weren’t designed for mobile usage, and customers who have a negative experience on mobile are 62% less likely to make a future purchase.
So ensuring your website performs seamlessly on mobile is absolutely essential. In fact, many businesses now design websites mobile-first. This means you need to focus on:
- Fast load times
- Consistent and touch-friendly CTA buttons
- A layout that is readable on smaller screens
2. User-Friendly Navigation
Ease of navigation can make or break a user’s experience. 94% of users in a study, revealed that easy navigation is the most useful website feature for them.
North American users are accustomed to digital efficiency, and they expect:
- Clear menus
- Intuitive layouts
- Simplified website’s structure
You can even consider adding a prominent search function that can significantly enhance the user experience.
3. Focus on Use Cases
When designing a content hierarchy for your website, it’s very easy to go down a rabbit hole of listing out features and benefits. After all, you want your customer to know everything about this amazing product you’ve created!
Rather than just listing endless features or benefits, consider showcasing practical use cases that allow customers to visualize how your product or service fits into their lives. You can customize this to specific scenarios that North American users face and instantly create a more compelling and relatable narrative.
For example: if you’re a cybersecurity company, show how a business in North America that’s hit by a surprise ransomware attack can use your cybersecurity solution, or demonstrate how an e-commerce firm can stop itself from facing a data breach with your advanced system.
4. Rework Images
Visual content plays a pivotal role in shaping perceptions. Did you know that people value product descriptions and visuals equally, with 91% of users finding both features equally useful.
Now if you want your website to truly click with North American folks, use images that feel like home, capturing culture, lifestyle, and values.
For example: A health tech company that provides virtual wellness consultations should show off vibrant and diverse users from different age groups, ethnicities and genders. This not only reflects the inclusivity and adaptability of your services but also your values as a company.
5. Transparent Pricing
Upfront and clear pricing is a hit with everyone around the world. Hidden costs or unclear pricing structures can be quite annoying. It can deter potential customers and even harm trust.
Ensure that pricing information is easy to find, understand, and provides clear value propositions. If applicable, include financing options, discounts, or loyalty programs too!
6. Authentic Reviews and Testimonials
Fun fact: 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business, and 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Peer reviews hold significant weight in North America. Incorporating genuine feedback on your website from your North American clients or customers in the form of written reviews, video testimonials, or ratings is a great method to bolster your credibility.
7. High-Quality Content
North Americans value insightful, relevant content. Canada, for example, has one of the most educated populations and workforce. Whether it’s well-researched articles, engaging videos, or informative infographics, high-quality content is a foolproof strategy to convince your audience that you know what you’re talking about.
Consistently updating your website with great content does wonders not only for your customers but also boosts your SEO.
8. Localization
Given the vastness of North America, localization can take many different forms:
- Language Options: While English is predominantly spoken across North America, offering content in Spanish for audiences in the U.S. and Mexico and French for Canada ensures inclusivity.
- Currency Adaptation: Allow users to view prices in USD (United States Dollar), CAD (Canadian Dollar), or MXN (Mexican Peso) based on their preference or location.
- Regional Promotions: Highlight holidays or events specific to certain regions, such as Canada Day promotions for Canadian visitors or Cinco de Mayo specials for Mexican visitors.
- Adjustment for Time Zones: If you offer live chat or customer support, note the availability in multiple time zones, from Pacific Time to Eastern Time.
- Regional Product Availability: Display specific products or services that might be available or popular in certain regions. For example, winter gear might be promoted more heavily to Canadian audiences.
- Address Formats: When asking for shipping or billing information, adjust the address format to suit U.S., Canadian, or Mexican standards.
9. Secure Browsing
With increasing concerns over privacy, offering a secure browsing experience is paramount. Your website must implement robust encryption measures, use SSL certificates, and regularly update security protocols.
If you’re collecting user data across different countries in North America, you would need to stay compliant in all the countries. For example, the US follows privacy protection laws like GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and more, while Canada follows the CPPA . Other Canadian laws include CASL and various provincial level laws. Mexico follows The Federal Law on Protection of Personal Data Held by Private Parties (LFPDPPP)
Prominently display security badges or certifications to reassure users of their data’s safety.
4 Tips to Make Your Website More Visible on Google in North America
So now that you’ve fine tuned your website to North American audiences, how do you amplify your website’s visibility on search engines like Google in North America? Let’s dive into it.
1.SEO Optimization: Incorporate well-researched, relevant keywords that are popular in the North American region to rank better on search engines. Beyond keywords, also optimize meta descriptions, image alt texts, and headers further to include North American keywords.
For example: as a manufacturer of 3D printers looking for B2B customers across North America, you can consider using keywords like ‘North American industrial 3D printers’, ‘U.S. heavy-duty 3D printing’, and ‘Canadian industrial printer solutions’. Edit your meta descriptions and alt texts as well, with, ‘latest 3D printer model for North American manufacturers’, etcetera to ensure Google knows you’re speaking directly to North American audiences.
2. High-Quality Backlinks: Earning backlinks from credible sources in North America amplifies your site’s authority. For example, in Canada, if BetaKit or Toronto Star, or another influential page like Goalcast mention you, it boosts your website’s online presence in the region.
3. Regularly Update Content: As we discussed earlier, consistently publishing fresh, relevant content for the region indicates to search engines that your website is active and valuable. This of course helps your ranking but also gives your audience the most up-to-date information, which in essence, is the most important job of a website.
4. Use Google Business Listings: If you have offices in North American cities, you MUST list yourself on Google. Your Google Business Profile instantly enhances local search visibility. Regularly updating business hours, responding to reviews, and posting updates can continue to improve your local SEO. If you’re new to Google Business Profile, check out our detailed article here.
Website Tools to Help You Build an Effective Website
Creating a top-notch website typically involves three main stages: design, development, and analytics. Here’s a rundown of some handy tools that can jumpstart your website’s journey:
Website Design
These design tools can help you plan your UI/UX and visuals for your website.
- AdobeXD – Great for design-to-prototype transition
- Figma – Perfect if you want to work together on a website in real-time
- Canva – Design teams can work together on creating website visuals
Website Development
Depending on the type of product/service you are selling, you can select a platform that gives you the right functionalities.
- Shopify – Tailored for online selling
- WordPress – Highly customizable with vast plugins
- Github – Perfect for team based website coding and development
Website Analytics
To watch the fruits of your labour come to life, use plugin analytics tools:
- Google Analytics – Track comprehensive analytics on visitor behaviour, source of traffic, and conversion
- Hotjar – To visualize real-time user interactions with heat maps and recordings
- Moz – To monitor keyword rankings, backlink quality, and site health to refine your SEO
Examples of Startups with Effective Websites for the North American Market
Here are examples of startups that have mastered the art of creating compelling websites tailored for the North American audience.
- Wave: A money-management software for small businesses
- Casper: An ecommerce mattress store
- Away: An ecommerce luggage store
- Lumen5: An online video creator
- Ritual: A vitamin and supplement company
- HelloFresh: A meal kit delivery service
We can’t wait to see your website made for North American audiences! Here’s to creating meaningful connections and making a lot of sales!
Want to Launch or Expand Your Business in Canada?
We are BHive, a startup incubator located in Brampton, Ontario. We offer international startups the tools, resources, and space to establish – and quickly scale – their businesses in Canada and North America. To apply to our Global Entrepreneur Incubation Program, click here!
