Looking professional online is crucial for any company. In today’s world, your website is your store-front. It’s the first thing people see when looking at your business and we all know people like to judge a book by it’s cover. Below are numerous tips which will help you start on the right foot and leave a lasting impression.
Simple Is Better
As Leonardo DiVinci once said, “simplicity is it the ultimate sophistication”. Taken with a pinch of salt, there’s no need to go for a bare-bones design, but simplicity does provide a painless user experience. Overcomplicating a website design floods the user with things to look at making finding and reading information harder, and more likely to leave. You only have 10-20 seconds to capture a visitor, and if they don’t like what they see, they’ll move on to the next website.
Ensure content is well-formatted, easy to read, with precise segmentation when it comes to different topics. Use imagery to break up the page if possible and add context to what you’re saying. Reduce navigation as much as possible to offer smooth flow across topics the user may be looking to find. Not every single part of the design needs a drop shadow.
Clutter-Free Content
Use pages to present information without clutter. Use a single focus or point. Neuroradiology Consulting does a superb job of presenting the information about the company and services they offer. Information is spread across correct pages, laid out clearly, separated with clear headings and imagery.
If you have multiple related points, use subheadings to split information allowing users to scan the page and find what it is they’re looking for quickly.
SEO will also benefit from single focus pages allowing you to target specific keywords and phrases. Search engines don’t respond well to pages stuffed with tonnes of different content. Instead, having pages which represent singular topics, makes it easier for sites like Google to differentiate pages related to your niche. Search engines can then present the best pages to users in search results.
Answer Frequently Asked Questions
When users come to your website, they’re looking for information. A good starting point is to consider the types of information they want. You can then push out content that answers typical questions. This proves your understanding of the topic, keeping the visitor interested in your website and ensures a positive user experience.
Calls-To-Action
It’s good to pair content with direct calls-to-action. Whether the user is looking to find out more, or already knows enough and what’s to get in touch, finding a way to contact you is crucial. Once a customer chooses to make contact, they’re stepping further down the customer journey closing in on becoming a customer. On the other hand, you don’t want to overload visitors with too many CTAs as that may come across unprofessional. Use them appropriately; at the end of content, in your header or footer or wherever else you deem nonintrusive but necessary.
Consistent Design
Providing a consistent design allows people to build familiarity with your site, improves navigation and is more attractive. The flow of your website should remain the same from the get-go allowing people to move without confusion page to page.
Quality Copy
Vast amounts of time is spent on deciding how a website should look leaving copy overlooked. Copy, however, is a critical factor in design. The website can look amazing, but without quality content, people won’t find what they need. It helps answer users questions, promotes what you have to offer and improves SEO by bringing the right types of visitors to your page.
We know how keen people are to correct grammar proving how easy it is to pick up on. The quality of your writing speaks out about your professionalism and portrays what communication with your business will be like. People will judge your professional ability based on the way you ‘speak’ through your website. If not confident in writing, look to hire a professional copywriter.
Think Mobile-First
Mobile devices now account for around half overall internet traffic consistently in 2019, and that’s excluding tablet users. The importance of catering to mobile users unavoidable. Many users will start the browsing experience on mobile before going to the website on a desktop. With this in mind, your website must look perfect on mobile as well as desktop. Going to a website on a mobile device to find it unresponsive displaying large images, small text, and all out of proportion the best way to drive a user away from your website. Ensure that as the screen size changes the website responds accordingly. That may mean moving or removing features but do what has to be done to offer a good user experience.
The experience must be the same across all types of devices, no matter the screen size.
Final Thoughts
In business, nobody wants to be seen as unprofessional. With immense competition in almost every niche, we always want to be best and stand out above the crowd. Your website is most likely going to be your first opportunity to leave an impact on your potential customers. If you incorporate the tips mentioned here into your design, you’ll be on the right road.