When was the last time you actually used your website? As in—you personally sat down and used your website as if you were an actual customer? Last week, last month, last year, NEVER? Believe it or not, most businesses don’t use their company’s website as if they were an actual user after the initial rollout, and sometimes not even then. Personally testing your website, and having your entire team do the same, will uncover some invaluable insight into what’s working, what’s not…and why. So sit down, buckle up, and get your popcorn ready because we are going to go over some website design principles and techniques that will skyrocket your conversion rates beyond all expectations. And, we’ll give you the one thing you must never do, unless you want to fail.

8 Web Design Principles and Techniques for a Highly Converting Website

1. Clear Navigation

If you want to decrease your bounce rates, you have to give your site visitors an obvious path to navigate through your website’s pages. If they can’t quickly and easily find what they’re looking for, they will bounce to another website that’s easier to use. Your navigation should be clearly visible at the top of the page and include a search box to make it easier to find what they need.

2. Attention-Grabbing Headlines and Sub-Headlines

If you can’t grab a reader’s attention within three seconds, you will lose that reader to someone else. Your headline is what should intrigue and peak a reader’s attention enough to make them want to keep reading. Additionally, your supporting sub-headlines are what will keep them reading to the end of your content and ultimately take action. If your headlines and sub-headlines don’t do that, you need to go back and make any changes necessary, until they do.

3. Page Loading Speed

If you want conversions, you have to make sure your website loads as quickly as possible. The ideal website load time is somewhere between two and five seconds. However, for every second above two, your bounce rates will increase. People in the digital age expect results in real-time and users state that if a website takes longer than three seconds to load they will abandon that site. There are plenty of free tools you can use to test your website’s pages. Here are the two most popular: Google PageSpeed Insights Pingdom

4. Use Plenty of Whitespace

Whitespace on a webpage is the space between your headers, content, and sidebars. It’s also the space that shows between your lines of text and any other elements on the page. Why does this matter? Whitespace, sometimes referred to as negative space, is what makes your content easy to read. If your content is too close together or is presented in big solid blocks of text, it makes it harder for the reader’s eye to follow along. You want enough whitespace so the reader can easily read and/or scan your page, which, in turn, draws the reader’s eye through your content and down to the end of the page. Properly utilizing whitespace will not only make your website look more professional and visually appealing, but it will also make it more readable and, therefore, will increase the reader’s comprehension of the content. Your unique use of whitespace is what will carry your readers’ eyes, down through your content and right to your call to action—where they will actually take action because they were able to easily comprehend your message. Here are some of the best ways to incorporate whitespace on your webpage:

• Add graphics and images
• Letter and line spacing
• Videos
• Textures and patterns
• Numbered lists
• Bullet points

5. Benefits

Always highlight the benefits of buying your products and/or services, etc. People want a reason to buy from you versus someone else. So tell them what they can expect and how it will benefit them if they do buy from you.

6. Supporting Images

Using images that support the message of your content will help make it clear what you have to offer. Use pictures that capture the essence of your message and those that create an emotional response to what you have to offer. Use pictures that touch a nerve and make your readers want to take action.

7. Social Proof

Having social proof on your website is extremely important. Social proof is a trust builder. So be sure to include reviews, testimonials, case studies, and anything else you have to build a rapport with your visitors. Always try to include a name and a picture along with your reviews and testimonials because these are what gives them more credibility.

8. Test Your Calls to Action

Having the right call to action could make a tremendous difference in your conversions. Test different call to action colors, button sizes, placement, verbiage, etc. to see which one brings you the most conversions.

The One Thing You Must Never Do Unless You Want to Fail

Do nothing! Yep, that’s it. If you set up your website, then neglect to test it and use it on a regular basis as if you were the customer, it will fail. Because most people base a website’s design and how easy it is to use as a top factor in deciding whether a company is credible or not. So what do you think it says to your visitors if your website isn’t user-friendly, has numerous broken links and/or other issues? EXACTLY!

What’s Next?

If you would like more information about website design principles and how to implement the proper conversion techniques, please Contact Us today. We are a Website Design Agency who specializes in taking businesses to the next level and beyond, and we’d love to do the same for you!   About the author: Actuate Media was founded to help businesses navigate the world of digital advertising. Our vision is simple: we facilitate data-driven business-to-consumer relationships. How do we do this? The first step is understanding your customers, then developing a strategy to reach them across platforms using digital media.