Over the last few years, more and more emphasis has been placed on user experience. Websites with better user experience are more likely to see conversions. While it is impossible to know exactly what is and what is not going to work for your site visitors until you have tested your website over and over, there are some web design trends that are more likely to both attract and help you convert site visitors into subscribers, customers, or clients. Here are some of the web design trends that can help you increase your conversions:
1. Images That Are Full Width
When you use an image that is the full width of your website, you create a much more dramatic and modern effect, which will help you engage with the visitor and capture their attention. A full-width image will be much more captivating than one that seems to be set into the website. Even if there are words laid on top of the image, this will be a much more engaging backdrop for your message than a standard background. This may be a technique that many websites are using, but it is definitely still a valid option.
2. Very Obvious Call to Action Buttons
Do you want to quickly and easily encourage your site visitors to complete a conversion? If so, you need to make it very obvious what that conversion is and how they can complete it. A very obvious call to action button, perhaps in a color that contrasts the background of your website, and tells the clicker what exactly they are getting themselves into, is one of the best ways to encourage them to click and take that action.
3. Make Your Layout a Split Screen
If you have two different types of audiences you are trying to target, you might want to consider a split screen. This will give you the ability to create two separate experiences, allowing you to hold on to more of your visitors, especially if those two audiences are going to be looking for two different pieces of content or would benefit from having their own navigation systems. A split screen will give you the ability to put the right people on the right landing page, so that you can accommodate those differing needs and will not put off users who do not immediately find themselves where they thought they were going.
4. Add a Video
Video has become an integral part of every online experience, and there are a range of different ways that this can be incorporated into your design, no matter what your website is trying to achieve. One of the most common ways of adding a video to your website is by creating testimonial videos, making a video about your product, creating a video that displays your staff, your office space, or even the process of making your product. This kind of personal connection will help to establish trust between you and the viewer, which is more likely to result in a conversion.
5. Separate Your Calls to Action
If you really want to make your calls to action stand out, it is time to separate them from the rest of your navigation. For example, if you want your site visitors to sign up for your email list (this is the primary conversion you want them to make), do not include the link to sign up for that list along with the rest of your navigation at the top of side of your website. Instead, make it front and center or, at the very least, give it its own box on every single page. Separating your calls to action from the rest of your navigation will make them more noticeable.
6. Make Browsing More Personal
You probably already have a tool installed on your website that tracks your visitors. If you don’t, it’s time to install one. This is one of the best ways to see what your visitors do and to analyze why they do it. It also gives you the ability to customize their experience, to make their preferences more personalized. You can change what they see and even how they see it based on where they are, their browsing habits, what they are likely to buy, what they are likely to respond to, etc. For a good example of how this is done, take a look at what Amazon suggests for you on your Amazon homepage. These are generated based on your browsing and purchasing habits and are designed to encourage you to buy something else.
Over the last few years, more and more emphasis has been placed on user experience. Websites with better user experience are more likely to see conversions. While it is impossible to know exactly what is and what is not going to work for your site visitors until you have tested your website over and over, there are some web design trends that are more likely to both attract and help you convert site visitors into subscribers, customers, or clients. Here are some of the web design trends that can help you increase your conversions:
1. Images That Are Full Width
When you use an image that is the full width of your website, you create a much more dramatic and modern effect, which will help you engage with the visitor and capture their attention. A full-width image will be much more captivating than one that seems to be set into the website. Even if there are words laid on top of the image, this will be a much more engaging backdrop for your message than a standard background. This may be a technique that many websites are using, but it is definitely still a valid option.
2. Very Obvious Call to Action Buttons
Do you want to quickly and easily encourage your site visitors to complete a conversion? If so, you need to make it very obvious what that conversion is and how they can complete it. A very obvious call to action button, perhaps in a color that contrasts the background of your website, and tells the clicker what exactly they are getting themselves into, is one of the best ways to encourage them to click and take that action.
3. Make Your Layout a Split Screen
If you have two different types of audiences you are trying to target, you might want to consider a split screen. This will give you the ability to create two separate experiences, allowing you to hold on to more of your visitors, especially if those two audiences are going to be looking for two different pieces of content or would benefit from having their own navigation systems. A split screen will give you the ability to put the right people on the right landing page, so that you can accommodate those differing needs and will not put off users who do not immediately find themselves where they thought they were going.
4. Add a Video
Video has become an integral part of every online experience, and there are a range of different ways that this can be incorporated into your design, no matter what your website is trying to achieve. One of the most common ways of adding a video to your website is by creating testimonial videos, making a video about your product, creating a video that displays your staff, your office space, or even the process of making your product. This kind of personal connection will help to establish trust between you and the viewer, which is more likely to result in a conversion.
5. Separate Your Calls to Action
If you really want to make your calls to action stand out, it is time to separate them from the rest of your navigation. For example, if you want your site visitors to sign up for your email list (this is the primary conversion you want them to make), do not include the link to sign up for that list along with the rest of your navigation at the top of side of your website. Instead, make it front and center or, at the very least, give it its own box on every single page. Separating your calls to action from the rest of your navigation will make them more noticeable.
6. Make Browsing More Personal
You probably already have a tool installed on your website that tracks your visitors. If you don’t, it’s time to install one. This is one of the best ways to see what your visitors do and to analyze why they do it. It also gives you the ability to customize their experience, to make their preferences more personalized. You can change what they see and even how they see it based on where they are, their browsing habits, what they are likely to buy, what they are likely to respond to, etc. For a good example of how this is done, take a look at what Amazon suggests for you on your Amazon homepage. These are generated based on your browsing and purchasing habits and are designed to encourage you to buy something else.
Published on April 11, 2016
About the Author: Julie Kubalik
