Why web design isn't all about appearance
The path to a successful conversion winds through obstacle after obstacle, from the beginning of the buying process all the way to the end. This means that there are many variables to consider when optimizing for conversions.
So, how does web design affect conversions? There are two main areas to explore: User experience, and the technical side.
Imagine walking into a store that has merchandise haphazardly strewn about, with no discernible method of organization. You push on, and eventually find what you’re looking for. Then, you realize there doesn’t seem to be a cash register anywhere. You spend a minute looking around, give up and leave the store.
This sounds like an absurd scenario, but it’s exactly what happens when a potential customer is met with a poorly designed website. Why would you spend precious time figuring out how to work a website when you can just hit the back button and navigate to a better one?
Another technique that can help you choose the correct images to feature on your site is by focusing on what your specialties are. Do you primarily photograph weddings? Do you enjoy working with families? Do you work in the fashion industry?
Keep this in mind when selecting the photographs for your web design. While it might be tempting to throw in the beautiful landscape you shot over the weekend, brides seeking out a wedding photographer won’t be able to get a sense of what you can do for them unless you showcase images from other weddings.
Confusion is the number one reason visitors will back out of a website. In the context of user experience, the architecture of your website doesn’t matter as long as the navigation process is straightforward.
Users need a clearly-defined path to follow. Elements like too many internal links, too many choices to make, and obscure menu placement serve only to draw your lead further and further away from the end goal of conversion.
Visitors seeking information will continue to visit pages on your site as long as there are signals indicating that there is more that will interest them. As long as they know that your site has more to offer, you’ll keep their attention.
Users must feel as if every action they take on your website advances them towards their end goal of buying a product, locating information, or signing up for a service.
It can be useful to mimic the sales funnel when considering your website’s design. You want your lead to progress through the funnel as seamlessly as possible, with no chance for hesitation or distraction.
User experience and technical optimization often go hand-in-hand when designing for conversions.
We are an impatient species, so it doesn’t matter how beautiful your website is if it never loads. In fact, 64% of consumers won’t wait more than 10 seconds for a page to load before abandoning it. You can’t land a conversion if your lead isn’t on your website!
Website speed is also important because Google likes fast websites. Load time is one of the many signals their search algorithm uses when determining where a page should rank. This means the slower your site is, the lower it will rank – and the less traffic it will generate.
Website load times can be drastically reduced by doing a few simple things like compressing images, minifying CSS, JavaScript, and HTML, and utilizing browser caching.
If your current website isn't designed to help your business get conversions, it may be time to consider redesigning your website. To learn some other reasons why your business might benefit from a new website, read our article about reasons your website might need a redesign here!
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