If you’ve been following from part 1, you have now set the specific objectives for your website and you know what your target market is. Now it’s time to move on to the design of your business website. Web design is actually the heart of the matter and can make or break your site’s presence on the internet.
Aside from establishment of objectives and gaining an insight into your audience, there are four fundamental concepts to take into account for improving website conversion. These are:
- Site structure
- Messaging
- Calls to action
- Graphic design
Let us discuss each one.
Site Structure
The website structure (i.e. the navigation and organisation of information) serves as its overall framework. It provides the form and function of your site. Therefore, it must be created with the purpose of achieving your main objective. Focus on your goal (website conversion) and then create your structure step by step so that it leads to it.
By following this advice, you construct a navigation system that naturally leads your visitors to a certain path with the fewest clicks. Think of it as being face to face with your client. In making your sales presentation, you follow a prepared sequence that you hope will appeal to the client’s intellect and emotions so that he will buy your product or service.
Messaging
The manner by which you impart your message is probably the single most important feature of your website. Think of the content of your website as your newsletter or copy. It should be easy to understand so that it does not turn off potential customers.
Bear in mind the three C’s when you deliver your message:
- Compelling: people buy products or services using their minds and hearts. It is not enough to tell them what your product is. You have to convince them that they need your product in their lives. Stir up their excitement about your product.
Concise: your message should be direct to the point. Avoid long-winded and circuitous sentences. - Clear: think of your visitors as regular people and if you have to use technical terms, make your message as comprehensible as possible. Using words that require your visitors to do research on another site might make them stay there instead of going back to you.
Calls to Action
Considered as one of the most important concepts in marketing and website conversion, a call to action must be completed for it to create significance. There are two types of call to action on a website:
The first type acts like a signpost by leading the visitors to the best sequence by which to browse your site instead of letting them wander around at random. Phrases like “click here for more” or “next” or “Continue” are good examples of this type of call to action. By setting a guide for your visitors on how to browse your site in a logical order, they are more likely to buy.
The second type of call to action is describing what your offer is. Your offer is simply the transaction that you will present to the visitor. Examples of transactions are:
- I purchase your product (I pay you money in exchange for your product).
- I sign up for your newsletter (I allow you to email me about special promos, new products, etc.).
- I sign up for a free trial (I allow you to do follow ups in exchange for free test of your product).
The secret of making a successful offer is for the visitor to perceive your product as one of high value to him/her and for the cost of delivery to be low for the company.
Graphic Design
Graphic designers are artists, not marketers. With this in mind, make sure your graphic design gives your site these three things only and not much more:
- Affinity: make your site design appropriate for your target market. When your visitor enters your site, he must feel that the site was created with him in mind.
- Credibility: your visitors find your site trustworthy and reliable, and make them open to doing business with you.
- Focus: your design gets your message across and emphasizes the calls to action. In giving in to their artistic bent, graphic designers may include things which distract from the purpose of your website, in effect harming your conversion rate.
To recap this discussion, set your site goals (web conversion) and identify your target market. Then create your website paying special attention to site structure, messaging, calls to action and graphic design. When you have succeeded in making these features complement each other, you can expect your conversion rate to increase and your revenues to grow.
Follow this process and you’ll quickly learn how to build a good website.
