It’s no secret that people are bombarded with information every day. So how do you get them to stop and take notice of your website?
Here are five golden rules to follow when building a website that draws in visitors and helps you convert them into customers:
But, First, make it Easy to Find What They’re Looking for!
The average visitor will decide in just three seconds whether or not they will stay on your site, so make it easy for them. For example, use simple navigation with clearly labelled menus and buttons. If you can’t tell visitors where things are within five seconds, neither can they.
So, basically, make sure what they see is engaging and well-presented. Keep it clean and simple – don’t overwhelm users with too much text or too many images at once – and use colours that complement each other well.
Keep it Simple and Clean
The first thing you should do when tackling your website is get rid of everything unnecessary. Start with a clean slate, and then test it by showing it to a few people who don’t know anything about your business. If they are confused, you need to rethink your design. Trim the fat, and make sure all navigation is easy to understand.
Use Contrast to Draw Attention
Humans have evolved to respond to contrast because it allows us to distinguish objects in our environment. Use this to your advantage by making sure the essential elements of your site are the most different from everything else around them.
Put Important Information at the Top
Web visitors don’t read websites — they scan them, looking for the important stuff. So the best place for crucial information like contact details is “above the fold” (you can see it without scrolling). This is also why you should put an opt-in box on every page of your site to grab people’s attention no matter where they are.
Be a Generous Content Creator
The more content you create, the more opportunities for visitors to stumble upon your site. And give people a reason to visit again by publishing new content regularly. A lot of small businesses have blogs but don’t update them regularly. A once-a-month post won’t attract much attention. Still, if you publish several times a week, you may be surprised how quickly you’ll build an audience of readers who look forward to your posts.
