It’s no secret that the digital world is a crowded space. In fact, there’s so much online information that Google receives 5.9 million searches per minute. It’s not enough to simply create a website to represent your brand. You need to design a site that converts. Your website layout should reflect your ultimate goal, whether it’s users scheduling a consultation call or purchasing a product.
With that thought in mind, let’s consider five tips to design a website that converts.
1. Focus on your homepage.
It’s true what they say: First impressions matter! Your homepage is often the first stop for visitors on your website, making it particularly important to optimize with strong content and thoughtful design elements. It should be easy to navigate with click-throughs to other landing pages, and it should offer clear and concise copy. As you build out your homepage, consider the following questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Who do you serve?
- What’s in it for me?
- What are my next steps?
2. Know your audience.
To design a successful webpage, you need to understand your target audience and create an experience tailored to their needs and expectations. Use your existing analytics — think about your past sales or social media followers — to get a sense of your typical customer or client. Think about their age range, location, interests, and other demographic factors. Thanks to HotJar, you can even understand how visitors interact with your website, which helps you glean insights into their browsing behaviors and device usage.
Want to know more? You’re in luck! Later this summer, we’re launching a mini course called Simplify Your SEO Strategy, developed to teach you all things search engine optimization, including the importance of website design and analytics. Join our mailing list to be the first to know!
3. Create clear and intuitive navigation on your menu and within each page.
One of the most important parts of your website is how visitors move through it. Whether they rely on your menu or text and buttons on each page, help them find what they want! You could create the most beautiful landing page filled to the brim with valuable content, but if your navigation efforts fail, it’ll never lead to conversions.
To ensure that your navigation is successful, use clear labels for your links — whether they appear in your copy, on a button, or on your menu. Don’t make your users guess where you’re sending them! More specifically, when you design your menu, think about the path visitors take on your website. Typically, you’ll see something like: About, Team, Services, Blog, Portfolio, and Contact.
4. Don’t forget about white space.
White space plays an important role in web design. It helps improve user experience, guide visitors around the site, and create balance among your brand elements. You can also use it to draw attention to certain areas. Plus, it make it easier to read your copy, which has been shown to increase engagement and conversions.
5. Pay attention to your fonts, font sizes, and line spacing.
Speaking of readability, your font can make or break your visitors’ time on your site. Brand kits typically include a font for headings and subheadings in two different sizes, plus a font for body copy. Some fonts are easier to read than others, with a sans serif or a basic serif often being a safe choice. Script fonts, although lovely, can be tricky for some users, making them better to use sparingly.
Similarly, you also should consider the size and weight of the font to ensure readability, even on a small iPhone screen. If you want a phrase to stand out, make it larger and bolded. Expand your line spacing to add white space between lines of text and make your copy even easier to scan.
If you’re looking to develop a digital marketing strategy and expand your online reach, please reach out to our team today.
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