Competition just got tougher on the internet. With practically every business on the planet setting up shop online to reach customers farther and faster, you’re going to have to make sure your website is a cut above the rest.
Throughout the years, it’s been found that a visually appealing website does help give that much-needed boost to site traffic, which in turn can lead to opportunities for sales and conversions. However, there are many other factors that contribute to consumers’ behavior online and what nudges them to take that final step to commit to your product or service.
There’s the matter of the website’s usability, or how smooth the experience is for the user visiting your site. There’s also the matter of prestige and credibility–or at least the impression of it–that you must address. That said, here are some simple but important tips for you to consider when working on improving your website.
Declutter the Space
Studies show that an online user’s attention span averages a very quick eight seconds. You may have reeled them in with your catchy, clickbaity copy, but for how long can you keep them interested?
Once they enter your website, it’s important that you are able to present to them what they’re looking for, or at least impress upon them that you have whatever it is they are looking for. Otherwise, they’re out of there, and thus, your opportunity for conversion.
Among the many various reasons why online users bounce from a website is the lack of organization on the site. Again, the point is to give them ease of use on your site. If they get bombarded with more ads than the actual information they came for, then they’re more likely to be turned off.
In the same way, if you fill your pages with elements such as graphics, images, or videos that do not necessarily have anything to do with what you intend to promote, then it’s going to be counterproductive to your cause as well. Keeping in mind the eight-second attention span of the average online user, you’d want your web design to look clean, sleek, and navigable.
Establish and Promote Credibility
To be more searchable to users, you want to land on the top pages of search engines. Remember, competition is tough out there, so you need to be ahead of the pack. Beyond optimizing for keywords, another thing you can do is establish and promote credibility to your site. If you create good content, and other users refer back to you by linking to your website, search algorithms will take notice of that and interpret it as a point for your site’s credibility. On the front end, what you can do to promote your credibility is by showcasing prominent clients or companies you’ve worked for.
If you don’t have one yet, use a logo grid template to display the logos of the companies and clients you’ve worked with. The more recognizable the brand, the better it’s going to be, of course. But even if you don’t have a well-known brand in your roster as of yet, put them on the grid anyway. The point, after all, is to show that these companies have given their trust and confidence to you, and that they have been satisfied with your work. Essentially, therefore, the logo grid on your site becomes some sort of a quick look into your portfolio.
Maintain and Update Regularly
It cannot be stressed enough: user experience is crucial to a website’s success. Make sure the front and backend are working smoothly. Address any connectivity issues, broken files such as links and images, and error pages that disrupt the user experience.
