I've put together a shortlist of the essentials for creating a website that speaks directly to clients and results in high conversion rates for positive business outcomes.
- Design for Optimum User Experience
User experience design is about creating a curated, seamless experience for a service or product for your target audience. The foundation for website design should seek to cater for any and every user. To gain user/client understanding there are varying methods of research employed. The goal is to ascertain user needs and expectations while identifying the moments that matter most to your client. The user experience is built using ideation (idea generation phase) and analysis to connect, test and drive the user. Design layout and user interface follow this process.
- Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)
A CTA is a message to encourage visitors to take a specific action. A CTA is a motivating tool for user interaction with your website that will serve a purpose for your business. Some examples of a call to action follow:
- downloading a free informative .pdf;
- completing a subscription form;
- request a callback; or
- click on a link to arrive at a landing page.
Market research suggests that conversions can increase to over 100% with a design makeover and a clear call-to-action. Are you ready to experiment?
- A Landing Page
Following a website call-to-action, a user will arrive at a landing page. If a click is the 'question' then a landing page is the 'answer'. A landing page must clearly convey your intended message and fit within website style and content guidelines. The landing page will follow proven layout methodology, remind the user why they are there and set the path for next steps. A landing page can be used at varying stages in a sales funnel.
- The Offer
An offer is a piece of content, special promotion or something of value that’s being offered on a landing page, sometimes in exchange for information. The call-to-action (CTA) will vary in effectiveness based on where it is positioned on the page, what content is supporting the CTA and what is being offered (including how low the barrier to entry is). Examples of offers are discount coupons, webinar registration, a tool to calculate potential savings by adopting a service or an ebook on how to create high-conversion websites.
This list is largely dependent on the ability to repeatedly test each characteristic for functionality, practicality and creativity and then, optimise each element for your target audience. While you are at it, test it one more time.
Call me, Ben, for help with website design that converts to clicks.
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