You have three seconds to captivate the attention of your website visitors; from the moment they land on your website, your job is to make sure that your website appeals to your visitors visually so that they are enticed to stick around longer and learn about what you do, what you have to offer and what problems you solve.
The image of your website is the passport that your website visitors use to pre-qualify you before they even get to read your website content. So, don’t think that you will make up for content for your website’s lack of visual appeal because they won’t make it that far if your new website redesign isn’t appealing.
Great design communicates your message clearly and is not a hindrance. A user-friendly website consists of effective presentation, functionality, and efficiency. Make sure your website meets these criteria.
Here are five elements that you must balance when redesigning your website
Proper Use of Color
Stick to no more than three colors, preventing you from overwhelming your website visitors. Colors have meaning; be mindful of choosing the right colors to represent your desired message. Avoid clutter by having lots of white space; without it, your design will look like a crowded room. If you already have marketing materials, stick to the same colors so that your brand has consistency, but if you don’t plan on redoing them,
Layout
Stick to a simple, logical layout that is easy for others to scan and read. Getting caught up in different “cutting-edge” designs is easy, but different isn’t always practical. Design with your target audience in mind. It is ok if your homepage layout differs from the inside pages. Ensure your logo and header are consistent throughout all the pages to maintain a cohesive theme or style.
Typography
Use font sizes and styles that your grandma can easily read. That’s the rule of thumb. Use larger font sizes to emphasize headlines and small font sizes to distinguish text. Get your points across easily and effectively by itemizing your content in a bulleted list format. It will be easy for your customers to read, and search engines view bulleted text as highly relevant.
Images
Use images that represent the personas of your target market. Some experts argue that stock photos should be avoided; however, some small businesses may not have the budget to get professional photos. I believe a picture is worth a million words, and getting the right image that captures the mood, expression, or goal that resonates with your target market can make all the difference between that person contacting you or moving on.
Navigation
It’s best to keep your navigation bar at the top; it is where people expect it to be. Ensure it is easy to navigate and return from one page to another. Make the name of the page the visitor is on clear by using highlighted text or some other form of highlighting where the visitor is. For optimal navigation, repeat the menu tabs at the bottom of the page and create a sitemap. Creating a sitemap also helps search engines find and index the pages on your website more easily.
What are Some of the Tactics You Are Using to Captivate Your Website Visitors’ Attention? Leave your comment below.
Website Not Performing? Feel free to contact us for a Free, no-obligation consultation to determine if a Website Redesign is right for you. Call 877-877-4936