Whether you like it or not presentation counts when it comes to building a business website. Some design-phobic owners may argue otherwise but you have a split second to establish credibility after a potential customer visits your websites. If your site design looks unprofessional you may lose a potential sale.
Make that split second count by using these 5 tips to design a clean, easy to scan website.
Trim the Fat
Scroll down your website. What do you really need? Endorsements, testimonials and product listings are the fundamentals. Add a few bright images depending on the nature of your brand if you want to entice readers with a bit of eye candy. Many website owners add unnecessary filler for fear of missing out on leads and sales. If you want to grow your list add an opt in form to your blog or squeeze page. Go heavy on helpful, usable content and light on fluff.
Post strong testimonials to gain your reader’s trust. Remove widgets or any element which isn’t aligned with your core message. Reduce calls to action to avoid confusing your readers. Create a cleaner, simpler site.
Use White Space
Successful websites typically use whitespace to make content prominent. If an advertisement or eBook cover is surrounded with white space you’re likely to notice the call to action. Some website owners mistakenly fill each nook and cranny of their blog with ads and other images.
Use contrast to make your ads stand out. Go heavy on white space to clean up your website design. Simple web design is powerful web design. By increasing white space you’re more likely to convert casual visitors into subscribers and customers.
Study Successes
Many a web designer has found inspiration from studying successful websites. By carefully observing successful design you can use similar elements on your website. Don’t copy top websites but do look for inspiration from these effective designs.
You may notice how a more minimalist site seems to convert at a dizzying pace. Or perhaps a site with more bells and whistles inspires you to add more flair to your delivery. Carefully study a wide range of websites and assess your site after your due diligence session. You may not copy specific elements but you’ll likely receive an intuitive nudge of what to do next based on the patterns you’ve spotted on authority websites.
Use a DIY Service
Using a do it yourself service can give you access to a library of free layouts and templates for designing your site. Create a unique website without the hassle of trying to complete your task on a piecemeal basis. From point and click editing to accessing professional layouts you can register with a service and have your site up and running for business customers in no time.
Develop Basic HTML Skills
You don’t need to become a PHP programmer but learning basic html can make your life easier. It takes little effort to memorize a few HTML tags. By learning basic HTML you can dramatically improve the readability and presentation of your website.