How to Attract (And Keep) Site Visitors: 9 Must-Do Web Design Upgrades
An optimized website that’s attractive and easy to navigate is essential for your business if you want to establish a strong online presence and attract more customers; visitors decide whether or not they’ll stay on your website in under 50 milliseconds!
If you’re not fully convinced about the power of web design, there are 5 big reasons for ensuring your website is the best it can be:
- Increased visibility. An optimized website helps your business to rank higher in search engine results pages, which increases your online visibility and makes it easier for potential customers to find you.
- Better user experience. A finely-tuned website is easy to use and navigate, which enhances the user experience for visitors. This can lead to longer visits and increased engagement, ultimately leading to more conversions and sales.
- Improved credibility. A well-designed website can help to establish your business as a credible and trustworthy authority in your industry. You’ll be building customer trust and loyalty, which results in increased revenue.
- Competitive advantage. In today’s digital age, having an optimized website is essential for staying competitive in your industry. A strong online presence helps you to stand out from your competitors and attract more customers.
- Cost-effective marketing. An effective website is a cost-effective way to market your business. With the right design elements in place (which we’ll be covering), your website can attract a steady stream of organic traffic, without the need for expensive advertising campaigns.
Now, let’s dive into the specific details that will make your business website attract the right audience and help you to grow.
1. Improve Your Website’s Typography.
Let’s start off with one of the most basic elements: ensure that your website’s typography is visually appealing and easy to read. Use appropriate font sizes, line spacing, and font styles.
Everyone can think of websites they’ve encountered and quickly bounced because the type was unreadable for one or more of these issues. While it’s “basic,” it can have a huge impact on the user’s experience.
*Pro Tip: Make sure that any hyperlinks you include are differentiated from the normal text. If visitors don’t know it’s clickable, they won’t click! In addition, your CTAs should use clear language and tell the user exactly what action you want them to take.
2. Add High-Quality Images.
Use high-quality images that are pertinent to your website’s content. Images that are too small, blurry, or pixelated can give your website a cheap and unprofessional appearance.
Here are a couple more additions you may want to consider adding to give your site a little more pizzazz:
- Use animations to add visual interest and engage users. However, be careful not to overuse them as this can make your website look cluttered and can slow down the speed of your site; a slow loading page scares off visitors.
- Incorporate video to showcase your products or services and engage users. Just be sure to use high-quality video that is relevant to your website’s content.
3. Simplify Your Website’s Layout.
Keep your website’s layout uncomplicated and easy to navigate. Avoid cluttering it with too many elements that can distract users from your main message.
Every element, word, image, video and section should have a clear and obvious purpose, focused on what your customers need—not just what you want to tell them.
*Pro Tip: One way to keep your layout clean but super-functional is to segment key information with bullet points.
4. Use A Responsive Design.
A responsive design, or a web design, that adjusts to mobile or desktop automatically is key. In 2022, 60.66% of website traffic came from mobile devices, while desktops and tablets were responsible for 39.34%. Approximately 55% of page views in 2021 came from mobile phones, and more than half of all video views come from mobile devices as well. (source: techjury.net)
Build a responsive site and you’ll improve your users’ experience and make your business more accessible to a wider audience.
5. Incorporate White Space.
Use white space to create breathing room between elements on your website. There are several reasons why a website needs to have a lot of white space:
- Improves readability. When there’s a lot of white space between text and other visual elements, it makes it easier for the reader to focus on the content and makes the text itself easier to read.
- Enhances user experience. Negative space helps to create a sense of balance and harmony on the page, making it more aesthetically pleasing and easier to navigate. It also gives the user’s eyes a rest and reduces visual clutter, which can be overwhelming.
- Highlights important elements. By using white space strategically, designers can draw attention to specific elements on the page, such as calls to action or important messages.
- Conveys a sense of professionalism. Websites with a lot of white space often appear more sophisticated and professional, demonstrating that the designer has put a lot of thought into the layout and design of the page.
*Pro Tip: Use white space to break up long paragraphs into smaller, more manageable chunks.
6. Use Color Strategically.
Color is an essential aspect of website design because it can significantly impact the user’s experience and perception of a website’.
Here are the major reasons thinking strategically about color is vital:
- Visual Appeal. The effective use of color will make your website more visually appealing and attractive. A well-designed color scheme can capture the user’s attention, increase engagement, and make the website stand out from others.
- Branding. Color plays an essential role in branding. Consistent use of color throughout a website will help establish your brand’s identity and make it more recognizable.
- Navigation. Color can be used to highlight important elements on a website, such as buttons, links, and calls to action, making it quick and simple for users to navigate the site, find the information they need, and take the action you want them to take.
- Emotions. Don’t underestimate the power that colors have to evoke certain emotions and feelings. Choosing the right colors can help convey your intended message and create the specific mood or feeling you want your audience to have.
Choose a color palette that reflects your brand’s identity and use it consistently throughout your website.
*Pro Tip: Avoid using too many colors. It can make your website look chaotic.
7. Improve Your Website’s Loading Speed.
Nothing will make a website visitor bounce faster than the spinning “circle of death” they see as your website loads.
Ensure that your website loads quickly to prevent the dreaded bounce and keep readers right where you want them.
You can improve loading speed by:
- Optimizing your website’s images.
- Reducing the number of plugins.
- Using a reliable hosting provider.
8. Add Social Proof.
More than what your website copy says, your potential buyers want to hear from other consumers like them, in their own words.
Examples of social proof include:
- Reviews.
- Ratings.
- Testimonials.
- Social media shares.
- And user-generated content.
Social proof is an invaluable way to influence the behavior of visitors and potentially increase conversions. People tend to follow the actions and opinions of others when making decisions, especially in situations where they are uncertain.
When a website features social proof, it shows that other people have used and enjoyed the product or service, which will increase the credibility of your website and build trust with visitors.
By showcasing social proof on a website, businesses can increase the likelihood that visitors will trust their brand and make a purchase.
Another benefit of using social proof is helping to reduce the perceived risk of buying from an unknown or new brand, making it easier for visitors to make a decision.
*Pro Tip: Look at the words your customers use in their reviews, testimonials and social media content. If you notice what they’re excited about or value differs from your marketing messaging, consider a change; you should use the words of your customers to ensure your message resonates.
9. Integrate With Helpful Tools.
Provide even more practicality and utility to your website by integrating tools that your visitors will find helpful.
Here are a couple of the most common ways to do this:
- Embedding widgets or plugins. Many tools offer widgets or plugins that can be embedded directly into a website. For example, a weather widget or a chatbot plugin.
- Using APIs. Another option is with APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that allow developers to build custom integrations with their services. This offers more flexibility and customization options than simply embedding a widget.
Abacus Web Design Services
No matter your industry, product, service or customer type, an optimized website is essential for any business that wants to succeed in today’s digital age. By investing in a well-designed and user-friendly website, you can attract more customers, build credibility, and stay ahead of your competitors.
Let Abacus help you put your company’s best foot forward with a feature-rich, modern, purpose-driven website designed by our in-house design team.
Get in touch with us today for a free consultation!
