Sites for Sore Eyes

 

The design of your web page can mean the difference between success and failure.

A website, at its essence, is a tool for communication – a tool that can get your visitors to make an enquiry, or buy from you. It is the information on the website that will persuade them to take action.
Good website design is the art of presenting this information in a way that reflects the brand and is easy for the viewer to absorb instantly.
Every good website design needs to answer three questions in your user’s mind – where, what and why – and in that order. The website should inform them as to where they are, what they are looking at and why they should read on (also known as your value proposition).
Marketing experiments show that if a web page does not answer these questions in about three seconds, your visitors will be less likely to take the action that you want.
How can you achieve this with web design?
1. With the text
• Display the information in a linear format down the page from left to right. This follows a user’s natural eye path.
• Keep content short and sharp. Get straight to the point. Provide just enough information for visitors to continue with the next step in the conversion process.
• Break up long bits of text with headings and sub-headings. Using checks, bullets or icons will also help break up text and draw the eye.
• White space is important. It will direct your users to the content that is meaningful in each page and make it easier to read.
2. By using images
• Use images to help tell the story. It’s easier for users to take in a picture than read lots of text. Just a few words and a relevant image make it quicker and easier for the user to absorb the message.
• Using icons can help aid the process – they are visually appealing and easy to understand.
3. By removing clutter and distractions
• Confusion creates psychological resistance so check each item on a page to make sure that it serves a specific purpose.
• Remove unwanted columns or dull back any ‘related content’ columns to separate them from the primary message.
4. By having a clear call to action
• Don’t confuse the user with multiple calls to action on the same page. Be clear in your goal for each page.
• Make it obvious. A good navigation means that your visitor should never have to think about what you want them to do next.
• Use size, shape, colour and position to draw attention to the action. Buttons are a well-recognised symbol for action.
• Make the call to action descriptive. Users should be able to navigate by reading the call to action without having to read the page copy. Don’t use ‘click here’. A better example would be ‘enquire now’.
It is easy to design a good-looking website. A good web designer will create a website design that is unique, reflects the brand and builds instant trust with the user.
It is hard to design a website that generates results. It takes an expert designer to create a website that presents the right information, in the right way, so it achieves your business goals.
Hamish Braddick
www.zeald.com