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Imagine logging onto a website only to find it cluttered, full of ads. What would you do? Spend time looking for what you came for or you would hit the cross button instantly and Google another site? Unless you are a highly patient person, we believe you would have chosen the latter option. It is better to use the best web design firms. If you are thinking of setting up a website, whether it is an ecommerce store or just a blog, here are some tips that you can keep in mind:
The above scenario highlights the importance of web design. Whatever you are selling comes later, your website is the first impression, and if your website is unable to hook your customers, then you lose revenue. Research shows that 38 percent of the people will not even interact with the website if the layout is not attractive. Surveys also show that 48 percent of people think that website design is the most important factor in determining the credibility of a website.
Given the importance of web design, it is imperative that small businesses should pay attention to the layout and navigation of their website so as to not risk losing customers. You may be tempted to use a free website builder, but beware of all the limitations that come with it. It is better to use professional services. If you are thinking of setting up a website, whether it is an ecommerce store or just a blog, here are some tips that you can keep in mind:
Come up with a plan
A website is not only about a professional logo and colors. All elements together make a good website. Before you jump off to any design ideas, draft a plan about how your visitors would behave once they enter the site. Good website design is backed by good marketing strategy that goes beyond showcasing your products. Regardless of what business you operate in, you need to have defined and measurable objectives for your website.
For example, if the goal of your website is to increase sales, then your objectives should be a search engine optimized website with a number of call-to-action that increase conversions. If you are a photographer and you have to showcase your portfolio, then your website should be visually appealing.
Remember to keep in mind your ideal visitor while designing. It is a myth that your website visitors are diverse, and you should cater to everyone. If your website doesn’t appeal to your ideal visitor, then it is of no use.
Make speed priority
Often designers load the website with everything videos, images and lot of content, which makes the site cluttered and slow. Longer loading time is the biggest turn off for any visitor. A survey conducted by Blue Corona shows that 47 percent of the people expect a page to load within 2 seconds. A study conducted by BP Studios shows that a reduction in page load speed from 8 seconds to 2 seconds can boost conversion rates by 74 percent.
Responsive design
In January 2018, a number of mobile users stood at 3.7 billion unique mobile users. Also, worldwide mobile phone penetration is expected to reach by 63.4 percent in 2019. This means more people will be logging on to the internet through their phones. Hence, making a responsive website is absolutely necessary.
In 2016, Google also introduced its mobile-friendly update, which penalizes websites that are not mobile friendly. So, in short, you won’t be penalized by your customers, but Google as well. When consumers log on to a website, they expect to see content just like they would see on their desktops. When your site is mobile friendly, customers have to scroll in all directions, which is annoying.
Show social proof
Psychology explains conformity bias according to which people tend to follow the herd; they are more likely to do things other people are already doing. Hence, when you are making your website do remember to incorporate reviews or social shares so that your visitors have proof that other people also trust your website.
Copy pasting reviews on your website directly is perhaps not the best idea. So, alternatively, you can embed Google reviews on your website through the Google Review Tool. According to Referral Candy Report, 85 percent of consumers look at least 10 reviews before making a purchase decision. When you put reviews on your website in front of them, you save them the energy of going somewhere else.
Remember all good reviews look made up, so don’t delete any negative reviews. Mixed reviews show that they are genuine.
Keep it simple
The best, perhaps, in the end, is to keep the design as simple as possible. When you try to incorporate everything, all cool features, it only complicates the site and confuses the visitors. The navigation menu is the most important element of your website. Make sure it is easy to find and use. Do not make it too lengthy. When consumers have a lot of options in front of them, they tend to miss the important pages. The ideal number of options is 7. Also, try to avoid drop-down menus. Dropdown menus not only turn off consumers but also affect your search engine rankings since Google cannot crawl drop-down menus.
To keep it simple, you can also make the use of white space. White space highlights the elements and attracts users’ attention. Give space between text and elements to improve readability.
If you have seen Apple’s site, you would know how carefully it has been designed. It is simple and easy to navigate. There are no drop-down menus; all the options are displayed in the top bar. You can easily scroll down and see all the products in Apple’s portfolio on the homepage only. Apple very cleverly uses scrolling instead of clicking. You can also see the previews of the new products on the homepage.
Conclusion
You don’t build a website just for the sake of it because everyone is doing it. Your website is the first impression that your consumers get. It should exude professionalism so that visitors get a feel that you mean serious business.
