Thursday, 24 July 2014

Why Your Website’s Design is Losing Readers

Designing a website that achieves your online goals can be a complex task. Although personal preferences vary when it comes to the look of a site, webmasters must recognize that every detail has an effect on the reader.

If you want to increase your website’s audience and conversion rate, you’ll need to design it in a way that supports these goals. Your content’s visual layout, color, and style will have an immediate impact on the actions users take once they’ve engaged with your site.

Guide Your Audience
Every website has a story to tell. How clearly that story is told determines how likely your readers will understand and connect with the content you provide. You must therefore guide them in a way that helps them understand the message of your site and what benefits they stand to gain.

Many websites are clunky and confusing. They have either too many options (menus, calls to action), or not enough. In either case, visitors can be confused and not know exactly what to do. More importantly, if the value of your offer isn’t clearly demonstrated within the first few seconds, they’ll quickly hit the “back” button.

Design That Engages
Although the concept of user engagement has become popular in online marketing, there’s much more to it than many realize. Engagement is more than simply getting a response from your audience. Your website must draw them into your content and give them a clarity.

Visual Path
By creating a visual path that’s easy to follow, your readers can quickly find what they’re looking for, and be compelled to take further action. When your value proposition is clear, your audience immediately understands the benefits they’ll receive.

Where you place your content will indicate its importance. By positioning more critical information towards the top, you can influence how your readers prioritize your content. You can make it larger and add more space around it to further emphasize your message.

Color
Using colors strategically will increase the response to your site. It’s been estimated that approximately 85% of a person’s reasons in purchasing a product is based on color. Colors can trigger emotional responses. The color blue can have a relaxing effect, while grey can be neutral and isolating. Pink is highly gender-specific and should only be used in light of your target audience.

Font Style
Your site’s font should be clear and easy on the eyes of your readers. This is one of the biggest mistakes many webmasters make. Although a particular font style might be appealing to you, it may not be easy for your audience to read.

Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana are a few examples of clear, easy-to-read styles that can enhance the performance of your site. Your text should contrast against the background, and its size should not be too small that readers find it difficult to read.

In addition to the quality of the content you provide on your website, you must also have a design that makes it easy for readers to understand. By considering the placement of your content, as well as the colors and fonts used in your design, you’ll keep your readers engaged longer and help them quickly understand the benefits they’ll gain by sticking around.

Read also: Make Your Website Mobile Compatible: Responsive Design