When designing a website many people make the mistake of trying to be too clever in the design area and forgetting what a website is supposed to do:
SELL a product and that means:
You don’t need a design that’s a work of art, you need to capture attention and that means getting people to read and take notice of your product or service.
Use these design tips to create a website that will capture your visitor’s attention.
You only get a few seconds so make the most of them.
1. Don’t make the front page to big!
People don’t like scrolling. You should have a small front page with economical artwork and a strong bold text message of the benefits you provide.
What is in it for them?
Make your visitor aware of the advantages of using you.
With many people using lap tops, have a front page that fits in a browser set to 1024 x 768 and shows the entire front page without scrolling.
2. Outline the benefits of using YOU
Your artwork is their as back up, don’t fill the front page with to much clutter.
Make it nice and clean with headings and sub headings to make your visitor take notice and explore your site.
It’s vital that the eyes of your visitor see the key benefits you are offering and this encourages them to click off the front page and explore the site.
A good way of doing this is to offer them:
3. A perceived value product or service FREE
Offer visitors a free newsletter, a report or limited time discount to capture their details and e-mail.
They may not buy your service or product today, but they were interested enough to visit, so may do so in future.
If you capture their email you can database them.
You can then email them regularly and close names that you would otherwise not have had the opportunity to.
Not everyone buys on the first visit, that however doesn’t mean their not interested as they were interested enough to visit your site in the first place.
4. Your Site Must Load Quickly
Your site must load quickly.
If it is over loaded with flash, sound or fancy graphics then it will load slowly and many visitors will simply click away.
Flash intros were big in the nineties, but should be consigned to history!
They are no use whatsoever in helping sell a product or service.
They annoy people and make them click away form your site and lose you a potential valuable prospect.
People are there to get information and buy and you need to give it to them.
They should be focusing on the text and the benefits of your product or service, nothing else.
People buy benefits; they don’t come to look at the design.
The web is NOT an art gallery it’s a sales mechanism.
5. Color
Color psychology is important.
People react to color and you need to keep the following points in mind.
1. Write off a white background (its easiest to read black text on white) rather than reversed white on a color.
2. Colors are a matter of personal choice, but the safest colors are:
Steel grey, Burgundy, Dark Green and Dark blue.
Use complementary and opposing colors from a color wheel if using more than one color.
6. Graphics and pics should be used sparingly
Use pictures and graphics so they don’t over power your text message.
Too many pictures and graphics will focus your visitor’s eyes on them and not your sales message.
Your objective is to make them read the benefits of your service or product and keep them reading.
7. Consistent & Easy Navigation
Navigation should be easy and logical to follow.
On each page, encourage them to contact you, or at least encourage them to give them your email address.
Make sure you do this on every page, you want them to get in touch base ASAP and close them.
8. Text make it easy
Most people don’t like reading long text and you need to keep this in mind.
Use punchy headlines and break the text with sub heads.
All these should stress the benefits of dealing with you and not the reverse ie how wonderful you are, let them decide that for themselves.
Think “you will benefit from” rather than “we provide”
Forget art and get selling!
You will speak to a lot of web design companies that will help you spend your money on clever and pretty designs however you should:
Save your money.
Your website is an online advertisement and you should keep it simple and SELL your product using the above tips.