Website Design that Yields Results
How often do you check your tire pressure? Oil levels? Engine coolant? You, or your mechanic, are likely to perform these maintenance checks on a fairly regular basis.
It is a costly oversight not to keep your vehicle running well. Can you say the same about your website?
- Inviting design with layers that provide visual depth
- Pages load quickly
- Your site looks (and performs) as good on mobile as on desktop
- Design make the conversion process clear, seamless, and simple
- You have optimized, high-quality product pages
- Your site search function is high-functioning and helpful
You’re performing these routine maintenance checks on your website, right?? We know it’s on your task list, but somehow it doesn’t usually rise to the top until it’s too late. Leads have already dried up. Referral traffic has a high exit rate. Conversions are virtually non-existent. Your website’s Engine Light is flashing at you – it needs service now!
Users decide in 50 milliseconds (.05 seconds) whether they like your website or not. If your design isn’t up-to-speed, you run a high risk of losing visitors.
Let’s look at a few category-specific elements that should be included in your website design.
E-commerce
OneUpWeb recently shared some best practices for a successful e-commerce website:
- Good design that’s easy to navigate and focused on the user
- Optimized product pages featuring high-end images and easy-to-access ratings and reviews
- Excellent search function to lead shoppers easily to what they’re looking for
- An optimized checkout experience that is simple and secure
- No hidden charges or fees to surprise shoppers at the checkout – this is why carts get abandoned online
B2B
The most important component of B2B marketing is the fact that it is actually H2H (Human-to-Human) marketing. Businesses don’t make decisions, people do. Design for those people. Best practices for B2B websites, according to Hinge include:
- Educational, not promotional, content is easily located from the top navigation.
- Premium, gated content like e-books and infographics are available in exchange for a name and email address.
- Words, imagery and case studies should focus on the customer. These elements allow the customer to see that you truly understand them and can help them solve their problem.
- Calls to action should be clear and easy-to-follow.
Non-profit
When it comes to non-profit websites, classy.org offers these best practices:
- Streamline your donation page so that when a potential donor lands there, it’s easy to donate and to stay focused on your organization. No distracting images, links, or secondary calls to action.
- Build authenticity and trust through prominent links to your social channels and staff pages. This humanizes your organization and makes donors and volunteers feel more connected to it.
- Financial transparency is a must-have. Publish this information in a way that is clear and easy to find on your site.
Ready for that maintenance check?
Now that you know what to look for, go spend some quality time with your organization’s website. You may find a few simple upgrades are all that you need. It may be time to rebuild from the ground up. Wherever you find yourself along that continuum, a trusted website developer and designer is going to need a lot of insight from you about your organization, your audiences, and your goals. Ultimately, though, this investment will make your website one of the hardest-working tools in your marketing toolbox.
