How to build a website that generates business is a question we ask ourselves everyday. It is, afterall, the very essence of our profession. In this article, we are going to present you with 7 proven rules from best webstie design practices for transforming your website into a successful digital asset for your brand.
The digital customer journey is a web of different platforms and tools with a single goal of bringing attention to you, your brand and your business. At its core is your website. A place where the magic happens. The following tips will show you have to improve your website using different techniques to increase the conversion rates, and consequently also better results from your performance marketing activities.
1. Copywriting
Copywriting, or more specifically, the art of writing capturing headlines is one of the most influential factors when it comes to customer interest in your product, service or brand. In fact, based on study by Brain Clark, one of the world’s leading copywriters, more than 80% of website visitors merely scan the written text while focusing mainly on headlines. Only after their interest is peaked with an intriguing headline, may they continue reading what you are trying to tell them.
So, when it comes to best website design and copywritting practices, headline structure and content is at the top of the list.
The ideal headline should meet the following criteria:
- Contains a clear message
- Communicates a specific value proposition
Once you have found the perfect attention-grabbing headline, it is time to deliver the information People crave powerful stories. Crreating captivating website headlines and copy is an art of its own. Get professional copywritting services and increase conversion rates.
2. Avoid overwhelming the user by using the best website design practices
Do you ever find yourself browsing through the website when suddenly realising, you do not know where you are, how you got there or even, what did you come to buy in the first place? I bet most you have. The reason for this is a phenomenon called “choice overload”. Basically, when a website is “overloaded” with too much information or too many options, customers tend to hesitate and avoid decision-making. They are unable to choose. Therefore, when you try to provide value in your website copy, keep it simple and to the point.
3. What’s in it for me?
Even if us marketers love to think that our products and brands are these brilliant things that customers simply just cannot get enough of, more often than not, this is not the case. Simply put, people do not want your product, they want to satisfy their own needs or fix their pains. Therefore, try taking a customer-centric approach to writing product description text. You might be surprised how far a little empathy can get you. Here is a simple exercise to test your current website copy.
Take a look at your product or service page and ask yourself the following questions:
- What is it ?
- What does it do for me?
- What problem does it solve for me? / What value does it create for me?
- Why should I buy the product?
- What advantages does this product have over the one I bought last time?
- How does my product compare to the competition?
- Am I doing the right thing by buying this product?
- What else do I get with this purchase?
If you can easily find clear answers to most of these questions on your page, then you are on the right track. If not, imagine you are the buyer. What information would you like to see? Answer often lies in the best website design practices mentioned in this article.
4. Additional motivation
People are hesitant. If they do not have to, they more often than not avoid making a decision and leave them for later. However, thanks to best website design practices, you are able to nudge them forward towards the conversion by adding the scarcity effect. Some great examples include:
- The promotional price is only valid for a limited time (e.g., 24 hours)
- Last 5 pieces in stock at this price
- A countdown timer on the promo
- The first 10 participants of the stay receive a 20% discount
5. Winning your customers over with best website design practices
Customers are more likely to buy from brands they know and trust. The best tool to establish trust is previous personal positive experience with your product or service. The second best is the experience of someone else. People are evolutionarily inclined to copy the behaviour of many. That is why customer reviews and other methods of social proof are such a prominent advertising tool.
6. Tell them what to do
You have done all the work, maybe even implemented some of the principles mentioned in this article. However, your conversion rate is still lacking. Why? Well, it might be because people do not know what to do next. Once you provide all the value and information, do not forget the most essential piece of content on your website. The CTA (call-to-action) button.
7. Consult the best website design practices with professionals
Optimising website performance is a continouse process involving many user experience (UX) techniques, analysing tools and A/B testing which involves making changes to the websites code. A web development company such as UPVISION has all the necessary tools and resourse to optimise your website for better results.
Founder of UPVISION Digital agency
