Conversion is not a game of chance. If a website visitor decides to sign up for your mailing list or adds a product to their shopping cart, something prompted them to do that. This is usually your website copy, but web design plays a much bigger role in user behaviour than most people give it credit for.
When people visit your website, what do they see first? How do the colours, graphical elements, and layout of the page affect them? The best creative professionals don’t just create pages that look good, they make sure to think about how the design influences the visitor’s actions.
If you want to improve conversion rates, your page design needs to be practical and results-focused. These are the guidelines you should follow.
1. Pay attention to the fold – Your most important information should be above the fold. When a person lands on any page, it usually takes them less than 10 seconds to decide whether to leave or continue reading. Having the most important elements near the top of the page catches their attention early.
2. Do not overwhelm them – On the other hand, trying to fit everything on one page creates an overwhelming and awkward appearance. You need to make sure that users do not have to exert too much effort just to digest the page’s contents.
● Use plenty of white space – Visual clutter is something that many websites are guilty of. A sufficient amount of white space helps people focus on what is really important.
● Limit choices – Try not to add too many buttons, links, and other interactable objects. This can intimidate users, and they may choose not to do anything at all.
● Avoid banner blindness – People will ignore anything that looks like an advertisement. Oversized text, colourful or flashing banners, and large buttons are a few examples of this.
3. Make navigation easier – Have you ever felt frustrated when using a website? Design features, such as very thin or rollover activated menu buttons can strain the user’s patience. Make usability one of your top priorities, and never sacrifice it for the sake of making the page look better.
4. Have a smooth flow – The overall page design should facilitate continuous eye movement. Once they finish reading the first paragraph, what should they look at next? Visitors should never have to wonder what they are supposed to do at any point, so they can reach your call-to-action without any issues.
Before making any major design decision, proper testing is key. Every audience is different, and your customers may respond better to certain graphical and stylistic elements. You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your current design, and then use these to create a better page.
The online landscape is growing ever more competitive, and businesses need to think deeply about how each part of their website contributes to the user’s experience. Do you need help with boosting your website’s performance? Contact us today, and let us know.