When lead generation and conversion rates suffer, us marketers typically look to our content, SEO or marketing strategy. But what about your website design?
Website design plays a critical role in the continued success and survival of your business. But it often gets lost in all the social media/email/content/SEO/video marketing hullabaloo.
If you want to keep prospects engaged and clamoring for more, you need an incredibly versatile, user-friendly and growth-driven website. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it.
We’re sharing the 4 most deadly web design mistakes we’ve seen working with companies in all industries. Learn how you can avoid or fix these mistakes and design a website optimized for lead generation and conversions.
Mistake #1: Your Website Is Drowning in Copy
Less is more. Visitors are looking to scan content quickly and get a high-level overview of your company and your products or services. What they aren’t looking for is a novel.
Appeal to today’s skimmers and scanners and make text easier to consume by breaking up large chunks of copy into smaller paragraphs. Keep your copy clear and concise and strip your text of marketing fluff and technical jargon.
Include headings and subheadings to make your text more scannable and help readers quickly identify the key takeaways. Use different fonts, font sizes, and colors to offer a more exciting visual experience. These stylistic changes make your text pop and draw attention to important phrases and key points.
Mistake #2: White Space Is Nonexistent
Remember when designing an email, sales slick, web page or any digital marketing assets—white space is your friend. Think of it as your web design motto.
White space, also known as “negative space,” minimizes page clutter and gives readers’ eyes a place to rest. It’s tempting to fill every last open space with text, images or videos. You may even think white space is a waste of valuable real estate. But an overcrowded website can leave visitors feeling confused, overwhelmed or frustrated - the last thing you want your prospects and customers feeling.
“Most people's first instinct is to squish every element together on a page, leaving very little white space,” says Dianna Brosius, a graphic designer at Stratus Interactive. “But when everything is crowded, the end user may feel overwhelmed or confused about what to look at first. Let your website's design help your users by allowing them to focus on what's important by giving everything a little breathing room.”
Take advantage of white space and create the most visually appealing and engaging website.
Mistake #3: Your Calls-to-Action Are Playing Hide and Seek
Websites have a clear purpose—move visitors through the sales funnel and towards making a purchase. Don’t leave them guessing the next best step to take. Let them know exactly what you want them to do and what they’ll get out of it.
Do you want them to download a guide to learn more about a problem they’re experiencing or a potential solution? Sign up for a free trial or schedule a product demo? Register for a webinar? Binge watch Game of Thrones with you (hey, it’s a good show!)? Then tell them!
Make sure every web page has a compelling, eye-catching and clearly visible call-to-action (CTA). Your CTAs should never be hidden or lost in a sea of text. Surround your CTAs with ample white space, so they stand out and beg the visitor to click on them.
Keep in mind your CTAs should change and evolve over time. Get into the habit of tweaking and testing your CTAs to create the most irresistible, high-converting calls-to-action. Remember to change only one variable at a time — the color, placement, button shape, etc. If you alter everything at once, you won’t be able to tell what change resulted in an increase or decrease in engagement.
Mistake #4: Your Website Isn't Ready for A Mobile Era
I’m constantly on my phone or iPad checking social media, catching up on email, researching products I want to buy and playing Doodle Jump (WARNING: this game is extremely addictive). And I’m not alone. Two out of three minutes online are now spent on mobile devices.
With consumers spending so much time on mobile devices, it’s critical you adapt to the changing times and design a highly responsive, mobile-friendly website. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left a website on my phone because the text was too tiny, and I felt like I was hulk-smashing my giant finger against an impossibly tiny CTA.
“You should always be thinking about your user's experience and how a website will look on their mobile devices,” continues Dianna. “What seems like a good idea on a desktop may not work on a tiny screen. The rise in mobile also makes it more important to cut out the extra junk you may want to include on the site but isn't helping the user with what they want to accomplish.”
Make sure your website is easy to navigate on multiple screen sizes and drive user engagement.
What's Next?
We know this is a lot to take in all at once. And we also know it isn’t easy to stay on top of the latest web design trends. We can help you create a future proof, highly customizable website that accelerates your digital marketing and stimulates growth.
Our team of talented and experienced graphic designers and developers can work with you to pick the best design and development platform for your new website. Talk to us to learn how we can help you deliver an incredible website experience that keeps visitors coming back for more.