WEBSITE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

WEBSITE DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

A bad design can cost a Web site 40 percent of repeat traffic. A good design can keep them coming back. (Kalin, 1999) If you captivate a viewer s attention with a compelling, and logically consistent site design, then a viewer will take more actions and respond more readily to your offers. Don t get distracted with pursuing just great visuals and a cutting edge design. An attractive site is about much more than expensive photos and shiny icons. If you want your site to convert, you need the complete magic triangle of: o Good web copy o Intuitive navigation o Pleasing design

Does your website design styling reflect your brand? Use a design styling to present your company s values, culture, offerings and priorities. Your home page should communicate your company s personality/brand image and make it easy for visitors to find out what solutions your site offers them to their problems. image heavy homepage text heavy homepage moderate text homepage 3

Do you use a Branding Slogan to target your audience? A company logo should be paired with a branding slogan in order to subtly convey your corporate purpose to your visitors. Slogans help new and returning visitors connect with your brand and the reputation of your company. slogan targeted to audience no slogan generic slogan 4

Do you catch attention with content above the fold? While having keyword-rich content below-the-fold on a homepage (viewable by scrolling) is often useful for SEO, it is essential that call-to-action options (like email forms) and the most important information, such as your service specialties and industry focus, are displayed above the fold. no scrolling on homepage scrollable homepage 5

Awesome content leads to brand awareness. (C.C. Chapman author of Content Rules) A bad design can cost a Web site 40 percent of repeat traffic. A good Professionally written content that speaks to your targeted audience is essential design can keep them coming back. (Kalin, 1999) for garnering trust and inducing content to be shared. Attention to detail on a site (including grammar) conveys the message that If your service captivate quality a viewer s will be attention fantastic. with a compelling, and logically consistent site design, then a viewer will take more actions and respond more readily to your offers. Buyers trust companies that have higher Google rankings and your content can help get you up there. Don t get distracted with pursuing just great visuals and a cutting edge design. If someone is choosing between two companies that provide similar services An and attractive finds that site they is about enjoy content much more from than one expensive of them, it photos is likely and that shiny they icons. will choose that company. If you want your site to convert, you need the complete magic triangle of: Content o Good needs web to: copy o Intuitive Be clear, keyword, navigationrich, and concise o Pleasing Not have design any typos and bad grammar o Emphasize value of service or product o Appeal to specific target demographics o Be truthful, interesting and just downright awesome so people share it.

q AESTHETICS. Do you have rotating images to attract attention? Rotating banners with targeted images and headlines provide businesses with an efficient opportunity to speak directly to the needs of diverse customer groups by promoting additional information, including selling points, benefits, and call-to-action options above the fold of the home page. no homepage banner static homepage banner banner rotation (4) 7

Do you captivate interest with keyword-rich content? You should use good copywriting techniques, fonts and coloring choices to give special attention to your critical content in order to increase conversions and get SEO benefits. Lists and bolded text are easy techniques to highlight actionable keywords or important phrases on a web page. keyword-rich content normal content 8

Are you blogging as a thought leader? Frequently updating a company blog can bolster your reputation as a thought leader and as a reliable source of timely information on your industry. Your blog is a also critical component of a sustainable SEO ranking strategy because it s the easiest place to add fresh, new content. latest post displayed on page direct blog feed to home news section just a link in the header 9

I estimate that spending about 10% of a project s budget on usability activities doubles usability. (Nielsen,2003) Websites should be constructed so that a visitor can easily find what they are seeking and then purchase with confidence. The longer it takes a viewer to see images or find information on a website, the less likely they are to make a purchase or to contact that company. If a site takes too long to load, then 64% of online shoppers would not make a purchase, according to jemsu.com. Not only does the speed matter, but so does the placement of information within a site s structure. Heatmap studies suggest that you place important keywords and details along the left side of a page in a F-shape. This can more quickly communicate to a view er and search engine crawlers what a business offers and to whom you are pro moting your products or services. 8

Would drop down menus help user navigation? Drop down menus allow viewers to access various pages on a website easily regardless of what page they are currently viewing. The complexity of a site design usually dicatates how much the drop down menus are expected to be used by clients. graphical drop down simple drop down fancy drop down 11

Does your type-in-search bar help users find pages? The style and placement of a search bar depends on how often the function will be used. Larger sites with complex navigation structures will benefit from a type-in search box. Does your search box visually command any attention? Do you put any messaging inside your search box? simple search in the navigation bar advanced search bar pop up search box in navigation bar simple search in header area 12

Can a side navigation bar highlight products and services? side navigation on all pages Side bars on a website allow for easy navigation within service or product categories. For businesses with a large number and variety of products, side bar search filters can significantly improve the viewer browsing experience and help customers find what they need faster. simple internal page side navigation search options in side navigation 13

Are you showcasing links on the bottom of each page? Placing comprehensive navigation options in the footer section of your site reinforces your brand messaging and helps users navigate through a site. The bottom area of a website is also a good place to display relevant social media icons and your contact information - especially for local SEO rankings. simple footer medium footer advanced footer 14

52% of shoppers will not return to a site due to poor site navigation (jemsu.com) Credibility is not just about testimonials and case studies. Well constructed sites simply perform better. Testimonials lend credibility to show visitors see how you ve helped other clients with similar needs. The best testimonials are attributed to the writer and they should be specific about the client experience. The more important or influential the writer of the testimonial, the more effect a testimonial will have. Case studies resonate with people looking for indicators that your business is trustworthy. Get people to pick up the phone and call you by showing: o Logos of respected companies and organizations o Case Studies highlighting successes o Testimonials from quality satisfied clients o Endorsements from companies or respected leaders

Do you target specific client types and industries? Listing the types of clients you service or markets you sell into helps visitors to see if they fit into your industry specialty. Listing popular clients and industries serviced above the fold also minimizes navigational confusion for visitors who are trying to learn if your company can benefit them. client listing in banner client types categorized below banner no client list 16

Do you use testimonials to build trust? Your site can gain instant credibility by displaying client, partner, or even vendor testimonials. Testimonials are both a subtle and direct method of imforming new and current clients about how your services or products have benefited former clients. testimonial above banner testimonial in center of the page testimonial in footer 17

Do you have branded logos from clients and partners? Identifiable partner and client logos reinforce the trust you are trying to get visitors to place with your company. Placement of branded images often depends on the reputation of the brand(s) and the importance of establishing credibility on your site. client logos underneath banner client logos rotating in a side bar partner logos rotating above the footer 18

What would you spend to increase your sales by $200,000 a month. Sometimes conversion improvements are as simple as adding a clear, visible contact form or request for information form. Other times, conversion can be affected by adding language and graphics that remove fears and doubts. 60% of online shoppers are more likely to buy products or services that are de scribed on a web page as guaranteed. (Jemsu.com) The locations and colors of forms and buttons can directly impact conversions. Imagine that a red button entitled Get Started Now generated 21% more clicks than a green button on the same site when they were tested separately. (Hubspot.com) Increasing your site s conversion rate is the easiest and most costeffective way to generate new leads and new revenue from your site. Period. You don t need to spend a dime on driving new traffic to your site to generate additional revenue if you can increase the number of your current visitors who become customers. And the payoffs can be huge.

q AESTHETICS. What call-to-action options are you employing? If your site is primarily a lead generation tool, then the call to action options you employ should be strong and easily visible. If your site is more of a brochure site intended to establish a professional image, a subtle contact us link is also acceptable. clear lead generation subtle calls to action multiple calls to action 20

Is there a clear way for customers to connect with you? Clear contact forms to request more information or to get a free item of value are essential components of a high converting website. Even in this Google economy, Vanity phone numbers are still a surprising technique that can encourage viewers to call and also remember your brand. contact info in a drop down box contact steps in sidebar navigation contact information in the header and below the banner 21