Easy tips to design an effective website

Posted on Friday August 27, 2021

In a recent survey by Vistaprint, 42% of the 1,800 participants said that it was "very unlikely" for them to purchase from "ugly" websites. That’s not so surprising, given that there are plenty of visually appealing and user-friendly competitors’ websites that they can visit instead. If your business website fails to make a critical good first impression, it could trigger high bounce rates — which then translates to missed opportunities and lost revenue. You can avoid this by improving some of your website's elements.

Photos

From product shots to team photos, high-quality images are arguably the most attention-grabbing element you can have on your website. Blurry, outdated, or irrelevant pictures tell site visitors that you don’t care about their browsing experience. In-house photos are the best option, but stock images shouldn’t cause any problems as long as they are optimized for mobile viewing and relevant to your content.

Navigation

Aside from having subpar images, linking to nonexistent pages is one of the best ways to turn site visitors away. Make sure site navigation is a breeze, and remove outdated or irrelevant pages. You can’t sell 404 pages to customers, and if that’s all visitors can find, your chances of making a sale will be close to nil.

Copywriting

It’s important to keep all of your product or service descriptions as straightforward as possible — the last thing you want to do is to confuse your customers. If what you’re selling has detailed information such as dimensions or technical requirements, make sure that the item descriptions are clear and concise. They should also be easy to find but not obtrusive.

Promises to site visitors

Any website that ships products should make its returns policy as visible as possible. This establishes trust early on in the buyer’s journey. Explicitly stating terms of return is also important because some online shoppers make purchase decisions based solely on the clarity of a return policy.

Even if you don’t run an eCommerce site, you still need to prominently display privacy commitments, such as those mandated by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

About Us page

To further create a connection with your site visitors, your brand needs a relatable story behind it. Every company website should have an About Us page that describes its team, culture, and what sets the business apart from the competition. Some customers buy products and services based on a business’s mission or vision, and some make decisions according to their impression of the people behind the business. Whatever your story is, make sure your About Us page is accessible from any page on your site.

The bottom line

With more revenue coming in from online channels, small- and medium-sized business owners can’t afford to overlook the importance of creating a fully functional, aesthetically pleasing, and easy-to-navigate website. If your budget is tight, there are DIY site builders specifically geared toward small businesses. With a relatively low monthly expenditure, you can also hire a managed website provider who will design and maintain your site for you.

Your website’s overall look and design can make or break a sale. For more information on building a modern website, call us today.