Website Design Tips

The Bedrock To Your Online Success!

Your online presence is often the first interaction potential customers have with your business. Empirically, A well-designed website can leave a lasting impression and lead to conversions which inturn achieves your Return on Investment (ROI). Knowing your audience is key. Here are some essential website design tips that will set you on the path to success.

Prioritize User Experience (UX):

Speaking of ROI, Every $1 invested in UX results in a return of $100. (forrester.com) User experience is paramount. Your website design should be intuitive and easy to navigate. Ensure that visitors can find the information they're looking for without frustration. Clear navigation menus, concise content, and logical page layouts contribute to an excellent UX.

Mobile Responsiveness:

This would be one of the more important website design recommendations. Mobile devices are now ubiquitous, your website must be responsive. It should adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes and orientations. Google also ranks mobile-friendly sites higher. These users are 5 times more likely to abandon a site if it isn't mobile-optimized. (toptal.com)

Speed Matters:

We're at a point in society where waiting up to 3 seconds for a page to load is considered too slow by 53% of website visitors. (Source: Think with Google) Apparently, visitors "have a need - a need for speed". (A Top Gun Reference) All kidding aside, page load speed can significantly impact user satisfaction and SEO rankings. You can optimize your site's performance by doing things like compressing images, minimizing code, and utilizing content delivery networks (CDNs).

Effective Hierarchy:

Navigation guides prospects through your site with a well-defined visual hierarchy. Use headings, subheadings, and white space to break up content and emphasize key points. Important information should be easily scannable. It could raise your website's conversion rate by 200%. (Source: Forrester)

Compelling Content:

Another great website design tip. Content is king. High-quality, engaging content is essential for keeping visitors on your site. It's important to note that the website design can be attractive to your audience and creates a great impression, but the compelling content is what keeps your audience coming back for more. Use clear and concise language, appealing visuals, and storytelling techniques to convey your message effectively. 54% of people want to see content that's personalized to their interests. (Source: Adobe)

Consistent Branding:

Your online presence should reflect your brand consistently. Use a cohesive color scheme, typography, and imagery that align with your brand identity. Consistency builds trust and recognition. Ninety-four percent of first impressions of a brand's website relate to its design. (Source: WebFX)

Clear Call to Action (CTA):

Every page should have a clear CTA that guides prospects on the desired path, whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you. Use compelling language and design elements to draw attention to CTAs. More than 70 percent of small business websites do not use CTAs buttons. (Source: Uxeria)

Optimize Images:

Large, un-optimized images can slow down your site - especially mobile. While the use of the appropriate image format (JPEG, PNG, GIF) are common and compress images to strike a balance between quality and load speed, Big Picture Web Design has been gravitating to the WEBP file format. (It's a raster graphic file format developed by Google intended as a replacement for JPEG, PNG, and GIF file formats) Don't forget to add alt text for accessibility. Optimizing images will impact the previously mentioned page speed. Bounce rates (site abandonment) increase by 123% if page loading time becomes more than one second. (Source: Think with Google)

User-Friendly Forms:

If your site includes forms, (which it should) keep them simple and user-friendly. Only ask for essential information and provide clear instructions. Implement validation to prevent errors. 65% of website visitors would refuse to fill out a form if it asked for too much personal info. (Source: KoMarketing)

Security Measures:

Protect your website and your visitors' data by implementing robust security measures. This also factors in as to how likely someone would fill out an online form. If using WordPress, keep software, plugins, and themes up to date, use strong passwords, and consider adding an SSL certificate for encrypted connections. A secure website can increase trust and credibility among customers, leading to higher conversion rates. (Source: markettailor.io)

Test Across Browsers:

Your website should function correctly on different web browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge). Test your site to ensure compatibility and a consistent user experience. Only 55% of businesses conduct UX testing. (Source: Skyhook)

Analytics and Testing:

Integrate site analytics tools like Google Analytics to track user behavior. Regularly analyze data to identify areas for improvement and A/B test design changes to optimize performance.

There is a caveat to the analytics. With increased concerns of privacy and VPN (Virtual Private Networks), this is a bit more of a challenge. Internet Security Software like Norton's Internet Security has an option for Anti-Tracking. A person can also conduct Secure Searching. If you find the majority of your audience is doing this, you'll have to refer to your server analytics vs your client-side scripts used by Google.

SEO-Friendly Design:

Optimize your website for search engines by using descriptive URLs, adding meta tags, and creating valuable, keyword-rich content. SEO-friendly design helps improve your site's visibility in search results. Poor search engine rankings and reduced organic traffic to limited visibility, lost competitive edge, and decreased revenue potential. So don't skimp here. It can give you the best quality per lead, with a sales close rate on average of 14.6%. (Source: dataaxleusa.com)

Regular Updates:

Websites are not static. Keep your site fresh by regularly updating content, images, and features. This shows visitors that your business is active and engaged. A survey of 1,013 US-based respondents between the ages of 18-60 reveals 81% think less of a brand if its website is not updated. (Source: Search Engine Journal)

Accessibility:

Ensure your site is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This is especially applies to those business with more than 15 employees and are Business to Consumer. There has been legal cases that have suggested making a website ADA compliant is a wise move. Follow accessibility guidelines (WCAG) to provide an inclusive browsing experience.

So no matter where you're doing business, Big Picture Web Design can work with those in the US, obviously Middle TN - Nashville, Franklin, and Spring Hill. Incorporating these website design recommendations can significantly enhance your online efforts and help you achieve your business goals. Remember that a well-designed website not only attracts visitors but also keeps them engaged with user-focused content and converts them into loyal customers.