Flashy is perfect for Broadway and Vegas, but when it comes to designing a credible website for your business, bigger and better is not necessarily worth the investment. According to a consumer survey performed by the sales and marketing gurus over at Hubspot, 76% of survey participants ranked ease of use as the most important factor in the design of a website (while only 10% ranked “a beautiful appearance” as their number one choice).
This makes a solid case for minimalist websites, which have been steadily increasing in popularity over recent years. They can be just as, if not more effective than uber elaborate websites that subsequently cost an arm and a leg to render…and all because visitors can find what they want, when they want it.
So how can you tweak your website to increase viewer satisfaction and encourage future sales? Here are a few tips to get you going (and help you maintain) a top-notch site:
Get rid of clutter
Excessive graphics, links, and ad space will only serve to confuse and/or frustrate the viewer. Pulling unnecessary content will make important content that much easier to find.
Think spatially
People tend to read from left to right, so the top left corner of the page will grab viewer’s attention first. Place your most important information here and ax the least important information if possible.
Use your head
If there is a Twitter link in the upper right hand corner of your home page, don’t put a Facebook link in the bottom left corner. Put them next to each other! The result? Less scrolling, more social shares.
Cut down on pages
Do you really need separate pages for each of your case studies, or could you include them on a single reference page? Decreasing the amount of navigation that viewers have to do while on your website is key to keeping them coming back.
Prioritize troubleshooting
Set up a link for frequently asked questions and make it visible from the home page. Aside from making it easy to access, this will also prevent an influx of customer emails and save on time that would be spent responding to FAQs.
Archive content
Is your blog on infinite scroll with no search bar in sight? Create a content archive where viewers can find old content — but only if they want to. This also aids in establishing company history and furthering credibility.
Be professional
You don’t have to be stuffy to be professional, but know the difference between “fun” and “eye sore.” Avoid overly vibrant color patterns and inappropriate text. No one wants to revisit a website that gave them a headache.
Perform regular site updates
This is a general rule no matter what type of website you have! It will keep everything running smoothly and looking great; no more broken links or unresponsive pages to irritate visitors.
By recognizing the need for ease of use and credibility over aesthetics, companies can save money on and ultimately profit from a minimalist website redesign.
Need help giving your website a facelift? Drop us a line for more information on what we can do to meet your needs.