The average visitor decides to browse a Website or not in less than 8 seconds, so your Website needs to sell them on why they should stay. There are several aspects to a Website that can help increase your conversion rates, from quality content, page layout and the Website design, but we’re only going to focus on the design aspect of our website in this post.
When most company’s think of Website design, they only think of its cosmetics – the photos, other visuals and graphics. Although the artistic elements are critical, a positive user experience happens when people find what they’re looking for. The most attractive and “cool” Websites are useless if people can’t find what they want and you can’t sell them on your ideas, products or services in less than 8 seconds.
Here’s a short list of three problematic areas that could cost you business if not addressed. Although these are not the only areas you need to be aware of, it identifies common errors shared by thousands of Websites.
- QUALITY PHOTOGRAPHY – Websites with poor quality photos make a negative statement about the company itself.
Photos should have instant impact and tell a story that is tied to your visitor’s needs. As the saying goes “a good picture is worth a thousand words”. Photos that are fuzzy, distant, grainy, hard to make out or irrelevant don’t add value or further your cause on selling visitors on your ideas, products or services.
Even if the photo is crystal clear, it will only be effective if it works in harmony with the text around it. Photos should further clarify or prove a point. If it doesn’t work in context with information surrounding it, it’s just taking up valuable space.
- NAVIGATION LABELS – A well designed navigation helps people find what they are searching for quickly and easily. Navigation labels should be short, easy to read in words that describe the subsequent content. This is not a place for cute and clever terminology that forces people to decipher its meaning. People have to get it right away, or they’re gone. Ask 10 random people what they think each of your navigation buttons stands for and what they expect to find when they click on it – then modify accordingly based on their feedback.
- TEXT LAYOUT– Equally important, but not often recognized, is the importance of text layout. Unlike traditional print media, people scan Websites before they find things of interest to read. Effective Websites use
- A series of shorter, crisp, simple sentences that use bold, CAPITAL LETTERING & symbols to support a sweeping flow across the page,
- Subtitles, shorter paragraphs, offset sentences with bullet points,
- “White Space” so pages look clean and uncluttered. Fonts are at least 10pt and San Serif (with no feet). Space is between sentences and around visuals. Each page serves a predefined purpose and its purpose should be obvious even at a glance.
A well designed Website is as important as a well designed office or store front. It makes a statement about your company and is a factor in a prospects decision making process. With less than 8 seconds to sell your company or cause, insightful and persuasive Website design is a critical component that could equate to a sustainable advantage over your competition.