Pretty much every business is looking to grow and attract new customers. It's a competitive world out there and there will be plenty of businesses trying to attract your audience's attention. If you are looking for a competitive edge, then the design may well be the answer. A well-designed website will stand out. It will make it easy and intuitive for users to find what they are looking for and make purchases. It will attract and engage your audience and enhance your brand.
The Importance of Design for Brands
Well-established companies have recognisable brand identities which make it much easier for them to attract attention. If you own a small or medium-sized business, your audience doesn't recognize your brand as easily so you have to work harder to attract attention. There are a number of things you can do to address this.
Firstly, communicate the benefits to your customers of using your products or services. Do this as concisely as possible - don't overdo the messaging.
Secondly, make sure the copy on your website has a clear and engaging style. Fortunately, there are a number of online writing services that can help with this such as Online Writers Rating or Best Writers Online.
Thirdly - and this might sound obvious - but concentrate on how your site looks. Choose the images you use carefully - the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. Use colour to strengthen your message and build an emotional connection with your audience.
How to Use Design to Get More Customers
Understand your audience
If you understand your audience you will understand its needs and expectations. Think like your customers. Put your site through a market testing process so you know it's conveying the right message to your potential customers. It's always useful to engage with your potential customers during the early stages of development so that your site is truly customer-centred. Analyse user data so you can see how people behave on your site, use polls and surveys to collect data on what your website visitors consider important.
Embrace simplicity
Research suggests that you only have 50 milliseconds to engage those who visit your website! Your site should therefore be simple. A complex design or site architecture will put people off. As a result, we recommend that you choose a minimalistic approach to design - no unnecessary banners, widgets or too many fonts or colours that might distract your visitors. Keep the architecture of your site simple so it's intuitive and easy to navigate.
Stick with the F-shaped pattern
The truth is most people won't read everything on your site. People tend to follow an F-shaped pattern when scanning content; their eyes move horizontally twice and then move vertically. It, therefore, makes sense that you should take this pattern into account when distributing the content on your pages. You should place your most important content top left to the top right of the page and place other valuable content in the middle of the page so that visitors don't miss it.
Minimize the number of actions that lead to a purchase
If you want your website visitors to make a purchase, you must make sure that it's easy and quick to do so. You don't want them to make too many decisions because every choice is an opportunity to say no. Instead of including multiple calls to action, just have a one really strong call to action.
Make your design inclusive
According to Samuel Gilbert, a digital marketer from online review service Writing Judge, “Not only is inclusive design important for ensuring social equality, but it is also beneficial for your business. When designing your website, bear in mind that some of your visitors may have problems with vision or hearing so it is vital you address their needs and requirements. For instance, alt tags for images provide audio descriptions of images on your site.
Wrapping Up
So, the bottom line is that a good, thoughtful design will help your site attract and retain your audience. Keep it simple and make it easy for people to make purchases if they wish to. Use analytics to help understand your audience's needs and preferences and listen to your visitor's feedback. It's simple really.
by Frank Hamilton