However cliched it may sound, the first impression is indeed the last impression, well at least in the web world. All it takes is a click, and if the first impression (usually 5-7 sec, sometimes it’s as quick as the twentieth part of a second) is not immediately captured, a visitor is surely going to ‘bounce off. You end up losing a visitor cum prospective customer.
Have you ever wondered why a user decides to leave a website and open another one for the same exact information, product or service that you are providing? What do you think when you decide to stay on a website or read through an entire webpage? What are the reasons your small business website design isn’t just good enough?
A visitor disgruntled with your website goes away to never return. Don’t make it a struggle for the user to find things of value. Make it an easy ride and not a game of hide and seek. Let’s dive straight into 5 things that you can do to keep a visitor hooked, because that’s what you came here for:
1. The Introductory Impact: Everyone loves a good show, so put on one. Make the customer feel grandeur, luxury, exotic or whatever human emotion you are trying to invoke with your brand, but make it just the right amount of big and loud. An interactive animation, a short (under 2 minutes) video or a great visual component could introduce your brand, your work etc. Demonstration videos where users can see your product in operation also become intensely interested. Visitors instantly form a relationship with the product, brand or simply your concept of design. More than 60% of internet users feel visuals are more appealing and 22% prefer to watch videos more than text and images on the same webpage. Get professional to build your custom website design that speaks the language of your business.
2. Now’s The Time To Sell: Bring out the big guns. Tell your visitor what’s your special deal and how you can be useful to them. Place it in the front and center in the least number of words. This will grab their attention and if your statement helps a visitor solve a problem, answer a question or make life easier then it is safe to say that you have a prospect in the pipeline. Give a clear overview of your business to establish yourself. This boosts confidence in the visitor that he made the right choice choosing you.
3. Give Them Room To Roam: Let your visitor ‘browse’ and quite literally roam around on the website. Allow them to explore but make the important details easy to find. Make it logical and the visitor will love you. Give them more room to see visuals, don’t cramp and force text just to fill space, emptiness allows eyes to rest and the brain to process information. Highlight important sections that you want them to notice, arrange all elements (text, space, visuals) in such a way that the vital things (services, reviews, about us) appear to pop-off the website. Give them material like how to do guides, video tutorials, blogs, case studies to connect with your brand and if not this time, they will eventually convert over to customers.
4. Guide Them Along But Be Subtle: Lead your visitors to your offering but be subtle about it. Coming off as a sleazy salesman would make them turn away as quickly they came. Be informative, give them an experience. Use color, size, visuals, typography, space and art to keep them tuned in as long as possible but pitch your products or services at some point just to increase the probability of success (conversion). Be coherent and organized all along, give them helpful information about your products, the issue and the solution that they can use. CTAs or Call To Action buttons are vital and they should be so strategically placed that they represent to customers. a continuation of the same amazing experience that brought them there.
5. The Human Connection Factor: Trust is the most common and the fundamental of every human emotion. If your customer has stayed on your website for more than 10 seconds, it means they’re down to business and they definitely like something on your website. Find out what it is by observing user behavior patterns. Collect data on what elements are used most on your website, which pages are viewed more and which buttons are most used. Give visitors something that they can use, an offer, an ebook, a newsletter, a free subscription trial, tutorials. Anything that they will remember you for.
Be objective with information, data and visuals. In the deeper ends of the website, give more engaging content like videos, blog, FAQ pages etc. to answer any query they have. Channel all this through social media handles to grow the number of hits. An updated, informative, decent looking website will do for almost all the necessities to keep your website busy. Track website statistics, study your visitors and up the visibility of those elements which are getting more attention. You can improve upon your website with better insights and behavioral patterns. It will tell you exactly what you want in your custom website design.