First impressions matter, and for your business, this introduction starts with your website. Digital marketing firms agree that good web design is an integral part of any successful business. If your site is not performing at its full potential, you might be making one of the following common web design mistakes.
Your content is disorganized. Keep in mind that page visitors will scroll down your homepage for just a few second before deciding to stay or leave. If your content seems cluttered or difficult to navigate, they will click away. Make sure you have enough white space, allowing your content to breathe, and keep your navigation intuitive. Simple is better.
You don’t have a search box. If a page visitor is on your site for a specific purpose, they might turn to a search box rather than your navigation menus. If your search box is missing, or is not immediately obvious, they will be left hanging.
There are too many words. Again, a page visitor will only spend a few seconds on your page before deciding whether to stay. Big blocks of text could scare them away. When writing web copy, keep it as concise as possible and use subheadings to break up the content. To keep the user’s eyes engaged, add plenty of high quality images.
The site loads slowly. 40% of people will click away from a webpage that takes more than a few seconds to load. Too many animated or interactive features on your website may be causing your homepage to load slowly. Striking a balance between tech and simplicity will helo your reach your optimal loading time.
Your design is not mobile friendly. If your website is only designed for a desktop, you are ignoring the 80% of web users that use a smartphone. Optimizing your website for a variety of screens will ensure that all site visitors are having the best possible user experience. Keep mobile design in mind when writing content as well. Long paragraphs will not transfer well to narrow mobile screens.
When planning your SEO and marketing strategies, be sure to include your web designer in the conversation. Consider hiring a digital marketing firm to consult in your design and content creation, as they will have information on consumer behavior. The importance of digital marketing cannot be underemphasized. Quality web design is part of this package.
