Whilst getting internet users to visit your website through clever marketing and SEO techniques is an achievement in itself, unfortunately the hard work does not stop there. Once users are on your website, they have the choice of whether or not they purchase your product or services or fill in your sign up form (depending on what the call to action is). This decision will be based on how well you have optimised your website for conversion. Your websites conversion rate is the number of users that complete the call to action and become a customer. In this article we will provide you with a few web design tips that will help you increase your conversion rates.
Simple navigation
When designing a business website it is important to make it as easy as possible for users to access the information they need. Rather than clicking through numerous pages to find the information they are looking for, users are much more likely to click off your website and go to one of your competitors instead. Straight forward navigation is essential. When building your website’s navigation map, make sure that it is both simple and logical. Thorough testing will be required to ensure it works effectively. It is also worth keeping in mind that users will be viewing your website from various different websites, therefore making it essential that navigation is optimised for desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
Having clear call to action buttons can help to transform users into customers.
Clear call to action buttons
Studies have proven that users are much more likely to click on buttons than on text links. When designing your website, make sure your call to action buttons like ‘Buy,’ ‘Checkout,’ and ‘Register’ are easy to spot on your website. Keep them at the top of your page as some users will not bother reading all of your content and therefore may miss your call to action buttons if they are placed at the bottom of your website. It is also important to make sure you refrain from having too many call to action buttons on one page as this can be both distracting and confusing for users. If they are unsure what they need to do on your website, then it is unlikely that they will convert.
Content
When writing and presenting content on your website you need to make sure it is audience-oriented rather than simply SEO-oriented. Whilst your content needs to be optimised for SEO, if it is simply stuffed with keywords, those viewing your website will see it as spam. When creating a web design for your website, make it easy for users to locate the information they require and present your content in an engaging way that captures users’ attention. The easier it is for users to find your information and the more engaging your content is the more likely users are to complete their call to action.
Reduce loading time
The quicker your website loads, the better chance you stand at converting users. If your website takes ages to load, impatient internet users are likely to click off and go to a competitors’ site instead. Users will not sit around and wait for more than about five seconds. You can reduce the loading speed of your web design by making sure the coding is clean and that you are not using unnecessary content that adds little value to the user experience.
Social media integration
Not only are internet users impatient but they are also lazy. If you require users to register before they can buy your product or service, presenting them with a lengthy online form can be off-putting. Instead integrate your web design with social media. Allowing them to sign in with Facebook or Twitter will enable you to capture the information you need from them, whilst allowing them to complete the checkout process quickly and easily. Users are much more likely to convert into customers if you use a straight forward checkout process.
Streamline your checkout process to increase conversion rates by allowing users to sign in using their social media account information.
Conclusion
When it comes to improving your web design with the aim of increasing conversion rates, it is a matter of testing to see what works and what does not. Every change you make to your web design should be justified by your users’ online experience. The better shopping experience you can provide through your web design, the more likely users are to become customers.
An article by Zachary Lowton in conjunction with web design in Southend specialists Bulldog Social Media.
Image credits: jules:stonesoup & Sean MacEntee