Drupal has become an increasingly popular CMS platform, powering almost half a million websites today for everything from retail businesses, government contractors, nonprofit organizations, real estate, medical practices, and more.
What is Drupal?
For those new to the platform, Drupal is an open-source content management system for websites with code written in PHP. Drupal is known for its power and ability to be highly scalable, making it the preferred choice for large and complex organizations. But Drupal is not just limited to larger organizations, many other businesses choose to use the platform because of its ability to allow users to easily manage content and flexibility in how content is presented (it now has over 42,000 free modules).
Below are a few reasons to consider Drupal:
- Mobile responsiveness
- Highly scalable (great for growing businesses)
- Ability to easily integrate new applications or functionalities
- Excellent security features
- Flexible content structure
- Simple content editing features
- Drupal community support
- Multilingual
The way you present your website has a major impact on how others perceive your organization and whether or not they will further engage with your website. This article will explore the features that we love from some top Drupal websites and offer some compelling examples to give you a bit of inspiration. Website design has seen some big changes throughout the years. Not only has the need for a responsive design become important, but effective content presentation is required in order to engage your visitors right away since many are busy and on the go, often accessing a website from a mobile device.
Some factors that make a great Drupal website include:
- A well performing and secure website
- Responsive design that looks great across any mobile or tablet device
- A website that is simple and easy to navigate
- A homepage that tells your brand’s story through compelling visuals, infographics, and informative content
- Different types of content to engage visitors, such as blog articles, a news section, case studies, and other resources
- Offering “call to action” areas throughout a website to help increase conversion rates
- Compelling visuals such as photography and video integrations
- Integration of new functionalities that help streamline business processes
- Inclusion of value statements such as competitive advantages, organization mission and vision, or description of organization culture
Performance and Security
Having a Drupal website that performs well and is secure is more important than you think. Both performance and security actually affects search engine rankings, with less secure and poor performing websites being ranked lower by search engines. Drupal is a great choice when it comes to both of these areas since it offers excellent security features and functionality for great performance.
Navigation
Websites built on Drupal can offer the flexibility to organize content in a way that is simple and easy to use. Headings should be kept to a minimum and relevant to your business with hidden dropdowns for sub topics that can be further explored. Drupal also provides a platform that will allow the design to be responsive and all navigational components of the website will function seamlessly across any mobile or tablet device.
Better Functionality
Drupal offers the ability to increase the functionality of any website. Through Drupal modules, new integrations can be made to increase the functionality of a website to augment and streamline different processes for a business. This can range from anything from a membership section to a checkout feature for a retail website. The options are endless since there are over 42,000 free modules currently available.
Responsive Design
Having a website that is responsive across all devices is an essential component for website design. Drupal offers the ability to create a website that seamlessly transitions to any mobile or tablet device. Now more than ever, people rely on smartphones for browsing the web, and it can be frustrating if you have to zoom in and out to view website content if it is not optimized for smartphone use. This can also contribute to a high bounce rate. Responsive design is also a factor in search engine rankings, with well optimized websites ranking higher in search results.
Content Creation
A good website will engage visitors right away through well-presented content. Drupal offers a high level of flexibility when it comes to the way content is presented through its themes, which help develop the visual look and feel of the site. Your website should include new content that is created on a regular basis. Drupal offers a platform that gives the ability to do this with front side editing features and the ability to integrate different functionalities such as a blog or resource section of a website. Not only does new content help in telling your brand’s story, but it keeps a visitor exploring your website for longer periods of time. So what types of content should you include on your Drupal website? Below are a few examples:
- Blog posts
- Podcasts
- Client testimonials or case studies
- A resource section
- Webinars or other online events
- Video or media gallery
- Social media
Call to Action Areas
In order to improve conversion rates on a website, you should include “call to action” areas where visitors can take an active step to further engage with your business. Drupal easily allows these types of functionalities to be integrated into a website using its built-in forms that can be added with the click of a button.
Some examples of call to action areas might include:
- Subscribe to our newsletter
- Book an appointment
- Donate now
- Sign up for a free trial
- Request a demo
Photography and Video
Any website should include great imagery and other media to capture the attention of your visitors. Drupal offers the ability to integrate eye catching, professional images that help tell your brand’s story. Since Drupal is such a powerful platform, it also easily allows for video integration as well.
Inclusion of Value Statements
It is also important to consider including value statements on your website. Value statements help support what your business is all about, how you can help, and what you see for the future.
Below are a few examples of value statements:
- Facts and statistics that support your businesses growth or ideas
- Business mission, vision, and value statement
- Diversity of service offerings
- Customer testimonials or reviews
- Awards received
- Organizational culture