You’ve optimized your website for searchers, written great content, and your site is gaining traffic. Only, your visitors are bouncing and missing most of the content you worked so hard on! Why? How you present your information matters. Your website design needs to be easy to navigate and draw attention to the things that matter. Read on for our 10 Effective Web Design Tips to increase your conversions in web traffic:
1. Use Industry-Standard Design Techniques
Most websites have standard elements that make them easy to navigate. The site logo is in the top left with a link back to the home page. The main navigation panel is in the header. The call to action is close to the top of the page. More often than not, you’ll see a search bar in the header and other important links in the footer, such as social media icons.
Non-standard designs leave viewers confused and frustrated. Your website should help visitors find exactly what they’re looking for as quickly and easily as possible.
2. Remember the Laws of Visual Hierarchy
Large sizes indicate importance, like titles. Use smaller sizes for less prominent text, like short paragraphs that go in-depth about your products or services. How high or low information is on the page showcases its prominence. Using a color palette with strong contrast or unique color stands out more than low contrast colors. How an item on your page fits with other elements determines how users will see it. Ensure your most important images and text have white space surrounding them and are not overcrowded by other elements.
3. Respect The Fold
The Fold, traditionally named for the top part of a newspaper that would be face-up, is the top part of a website before scrolling. There is much debate if the fold matters for websites, but 57% of page viewing takes place above the fold. 74% of viewing took place on the first two scrolls of a page.
4. Avoid Unnecessary Interactive Elements
Sliding walls of content are fun to look at and are a favorite of website owners, but 89% of people only look at the first slide on the carousel. Carousels, accordions, and pop-out information slow down your website visitors. Scrolling is easier than clicking. If a visitor has to aim and click on something they are less likely to see it.
Tall pages are okay. Having a long scrollable page where all information is visible increased conversions more than a short page with lots of links.
5. Keep it Simple
Keep your homepage minimalistic and free of clutter. The less there is to see, click on, and read the easier it is to process the content. Too much visual complexity is overwhelming. Stick to one goal per page, and most importantly, one call to action.
6. Make Your Text Easily Readable
Use clear, descriptive, keyword-focused headlines that explain what your site can do for visitors. Use fonts that are easy to read, have good color contrast, and large letter size. A rule of thumb is at least 16 point font.
7. Use Eye-Catching Imagery
Include people in pictures; people like looking at other humans. However, stock photos can easily look fake, and your searchers will notice this.
Graphic elements have gained in popularity in the last few years as well, but make sure any graphics you use aren’t reminiscent of early 90’s clip-art. Using a healthy mixture of icons, photos, and drawings will illustrate what your business does.
Creating an effective web design to draw in customers and clients requires both technical experience and a good eye for design. Check out our article on the 9 Important Elements of Quality Web Development for a broader view on how we design, develop, and optimize websites for small businesses!
