Your website is your business card on today’s market. Elements of a great website design include a mix of responsiveness, functionality, and great visuals that compliment your content in the right way. The website that converts needs to be easy to navigate and to provide bite-sized information so your customers can figure out what you do in just a few seconds.
Website optimization is always an ongoing process because there is always room for improvement. Not all websites are created equal but some effective strategies can be utilized and help your website gain more traction and sales, not just more traffic. Check out these five simple strategies to make your website look better.
Web Merchandising Strategies
Web merchandising is the process of visually marketing your products and services online. If done properly, web merchandising can help you increase your conversions.
An effective homepage needs to have a simplistic design and some great visuals. Videos, high-res images, and graphics will grab and keep the attention. Product copy that follows visuals needs to be short and effective.
People want to see products in a low price range first so make sure to list the more luxurious items last. Try grouping related products and create shopping bundles – this works great if one of these products is not selling well and is matched with bestsellers.
Make sure that you have a ‘’view all’’ button in your navigation so your customers can be aware of what is on sale currently. Also, try including a predictive search to a search bar to help your customers find the right products easier. You can create a customizable and more personal customer journey based on data which is the main strength of online sellers. By following all the product searches and carts of your customers you will get useful insights into their shopping habits.
Don’t underestimate the power of product positioning – is there a product that is not a new arrival or a bestseller yet people are casually browsing it? Try putting it on banners or highlight them and see what will happen. Email and SMS marketing can help you keep your customers by informing them about new product arrivals.
White Space
White space is also known as negative space – but it can have a positive impact on your sales. Utilizing white space is often an overlooked strategy because website owners want to use every pixel available. The biggest fear of the website owners is that their website will look empty and bare. When used correctly it can help you create balance and visual integrity.
White space is there to create a balance between elements and to create a more natural flow of information. White space can help your customers interact better with the website because they will not feel overwhelmed by too many visuals or information. It also improves reading comprehension and it helps your customer understand your information better. White space can also help you highlight what is important; in most cases the call to action button.
High-resolution Photos
We all know free stock images are commonplace among blogs. They depict people at meetings, people on laptops with coffee, a tidy workspace, etc. Yet, these free stock photos are not something you want for your business website – you are risking looking very unprofessional. They are often out of context and you can send the wrong message.
High-resolution photos are necessary to fill a visual gap of your website image. It is best to include high-resolution images of your products which will increase the interest of potential buyers. They will have better insights into what they are buying, therefore they will trust you more. Also, it is important to mention that your images need to be optimized for Google search or your site speed will suffer.
Social Proof
Social proof is a tendency of human beings to follow the example of others when making important decisions. When it comes to your website, there are numerous creative ways to include social proof. Social proof is here to help you build better credibility and ignite acceptance.
For example – client testimonials, endorsements from the experts in your niche, positive ratings on your website or Google my Business profile, number of followers on social media, a tweet from an influencer about your product. If you want people to download your latest ebook, try mentioning that you have 5000 downloads already. Social proof inspires trust and increases conversions.
A great way to test which social proof works for you is A/B testing. Use two different variations of one homepage and see which one converts better.
Color Balance
Different colors can awaken different emotions so it is important to be aware of which color combinations will work for the brand and website. For example, blue inspires trust, green works great for websites about finances, shades of gold and black mean luxury while pastels inspire serenity. Color contrast, a great palette, and a balance of white spaces are the main pillars of a stunning web design.
Color palette can create a sense of the order of elements and can help you highlight what is important and in the end, increase the engagement. This is important both for serious business websites and eCommerce websites equally.
Based on the season try picking a color palette and create a cohesive visual story of your products. Visual uniformity is not just eye-pleasing, your customers will be tempted to make even more purchases to have the matching products.
