Is website design important?
It is easy to create a website now because of all the tools at one’s disposal. However, just because you can make one it doesn’t mean it will achieve the goals you sought. Design matters because it is the first impression you’ll make on a potential customer. It takes a few seconds or less for visitors to formulate an opinion about your brand and website.
Web design has a positive or negative effect on conversion rates and your website’s ability to move a visitor from one section of the sales funnel to another. Experts from Web Capital cite the following practices that improve your site’s design.
Focus on Showing, Not Telling
Show don’t tell is an old maxim when it comes to good writing. This also applies to web design best practices. Blocks of text are not only boring but also negatively affect user experience. Text is necessary for keywords and search engine algorithms, but you need to break these up with appropriate images and other forms of multimedia. Use eye-catching photos that illustrate the brand message you want to convey. Use videos, infographics, and downloadable media to improve your conversion rate and improve user experience.
Implement the Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds has been a design staple of photographers, but you can implement this concept for web design. It means using an overlay of two horizontal and vertical lines with even spacing as a template when creating a website. The eyes of visitors would drift towards the center of these intersecting lines. That area is an ideal spot to place important information, photos, and calls-to-action. You can implement this rule regardless of the type of website you have.
Fewer and Better Options
Too many available choices may lead to indecision or no decision at all. Analysis paralysis is something to avoid because it may cause a potential customer to choose your competitors. Focus on displaying your best sell products and specific calls-to-action on your website’s pages. The fewer choices a visitor has the likelier they are to act the way you want them to. This may be a final purchase or at least a subscription to your mailing list.
Consistent Branding Throughout
Your website stands in for your brand and its message. It is important to be consistent throughout the design of your site from its colors to layout to multimedia usage. This creates positive associations whenever a potential customer sees your logos, the colors you use, and even the way you write. This moves you up in their tier of brands to choose from and if you do your marketing correctly, catapult your top of mind.
Clear Call-to-Action
The call-to-action (CTA) buttons and phrasing of content play important roles in web design and conversions. Make these direct and clear. Lead a visitor toward an action you want them to take. Reduce the clutter on a page so that visitors can see the CTA clearly and easily. Also, include CTA buttons on different parts of each page to boost conversion rate.
These web design practices improve your conversion rate and user experience. Implement these to get the results you want and get ahead of your competitors.
