At Cantilever, we believe that a website is more than just a digital billboard—it's a space where your guests should feel welcomed, understood, and guided toward their goals. This philosophy, which we call “Digital Hospitality,” drives every aspect of our work. To make this concept more actionable for our clients, we’ve developed a comprehensive new framework to evaluate and improve websites: The DEMO Framework.
DEMO stands for Discovery, Ease of Use, Message, and Offers—four pillars that we believe are essential for creating a website that not only attracts visitors but also converts them into loyal customers. Let’s break down why each element of the DEMO Framework matters and how it all ties back to our core mission of providing unparalleled Digital Hospitality.
🔦 Discovery: Welcome In Your Guests
The first step in any online journey is discovery. If your potential customers can’t find your website, everything else is moot. That’s why the Discovery phase focuses on how easy it is for guests to reach your site. This encompasses traditional SEO—ensuring your site ranks for relevant search terms—as well as newer concerns like AI readiness. With the rise of AI and large language models (LLMs), it's crucial that your website is structured and written so these models can easily understand and refer to your business when users inquire about your niche.
Moreover, a solid strategy for attracting users is essential. Whether through paid ads, social media, or organic search, your site needs to be visible in the right places at the right times. In this phase, we measure success by the quality of traffic your site receives. Are the right people finding you? And once they do, are they sticking around?
Checklist
- SEO: Is the website optimized for common search terms your target audience might use?
- AI Readiness: Is your site built and written to be easily understood by AI, enhancing your chances of being recommended?
- Attracting Users: Do you have a robust plan to drive traffic to your site?
Metrics
- Quality traffic
🖱 Ease of Use: Give Guests a Great Experience
Once a guest arrives on your site, the next hurdle is navigation. Can they find what they’re looking for quickly and easily? The Ease of Use pillar focuses on user experience, accessibility, and site performance. Your website must be intuitively structured, loading quickly, and accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities or the device they’re using.
This goes beyond aesthetics—it's about ensuring your site is functional, welcoming, and trustworthy. A fast, reliable, and secure site builds confidence in your visitors, while a poor experience can send them running to your competitors. We evaluate this through key metrics like site speed, WCAG accessibility standards, and bounce rates.
Checklist
- User Experience: Is the site structured in a clear, intuitive manner?
- Accessibility: Is the site accessible to users with disabilities, and on various devices?
- Speed: Does the site load quickly, ensuring a seamless experience?
- Reliability: Is the site secure, stable, and fast?
- Trust: Does the site respect user privacy and provide control over data usage?
Metrics
- Site speed, WCAG accessibility, bounce rates
📢 Message: Speak To Your Guests’ Needs
With discovery and ease of use nailed down, it’s time to focus on the message. This is where your site’s content and design come into play. Is your website clearly communicating your value proposition? Does it tell a compelling story that resonates with your target audience?
Your message should establish credibility, clarify the problem you solve, and position your brand as the guide who can help your customers succeed. Through design, storytelling, and strategic content, we ensure that your site not only attracts attention but also persuades visitors to take the next step.
Checklist
- Design: Does the visual design align with your brand’s values and message?
- Credibility: Does your site establish trust and clearly communicate what you offer?
- Clarity: Is it clear what problem you solve and who you solve it for?
- Storytelling: Does your site tell a compelling story with the customer as the hero and your brand as the guide?
Metrics
- Time on site, conversion rates
💡 Offers: Reward Guests and Give Them a Reason to Come Back
Finally, the Offers pillar ensures that your website provides clear, compelling calls to action. Whether it's signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or scheduling a consultation, your offers need to be irresistible and easy to act on.
But a good website doesn’t just convert visitors—it encourages them to return. By crafting secondary offers and giving users reasons to revisit, we close the loop, bringing them back to the Discovery phase and keeping the cycle going.
Checklist
- Clear Main Offer: Is the main offer enticing and visible on every page?
- Attractive Secondary Offers: Are there relevant, valuable secondary offers on most pages?
- Repeatability: Does your site give users a compelling reason to return?
- Measurement: Are user actions tracked consistently to gauge what’s working?
Metrics
- Conversion rates, repeat visit rate
Evaluate Your Site with a Free DEMO Consultation
The DEMO Framework isn’t just a theory—it’s a practical tool that we use to evaluate and optimize our clients’ websites. And now, we’re offering a free 30-minute consultation where we’ll analyze your site against the DEMO Framework. This is your chance to see where your site shines and where there’s room for improvement.
Are you ready to elevate your Digital Hospitality? Set up your free consultation with us today, and let’s see how your site stacks up against the DEMO Framework. Together, we can create a website that’s not just functional, but truly exceptional.
