Web Design Tips

When the internet emerged more than 25 years ago, the first websites were akin to a magical land of unicorns and casinos, resplendent with scrolling marquee text, flashing lights and bright sparkles. It felt like a visit to the Red Light district every time a user connected to the brave new Internet World via modem at the blistering speed of 14k. Companies didn’t realize what a great business asset an effective web design could be. Instead they structured their sites to serve as giant “About Us” pages as a way to invite recognition for their traditional brands.

In the last 25 years the internet has changed substantially, and consumer behavior has changed even more. Websites now dominates the way we communicate, the way we shop, and the way we make decisions both online and also in the face-to-face world. The glorified About Us websites are gone, replaced by mobile and secure business sites that serve as powerful lead generation tools for anyone with a business-to-business or business-to-consumer product or service or information resource to sell.

To commemorate 25 years of the Web, I’ve invited Gabe Shaoolian, founder and CEO of web design and online marketing firm Blue Fountain Media, to provide 25 tips for current best practice in making your website the best it can be as a vehicle for capturing more leads and conducting a better business, as follows:

1.  The  Rule 

Remember that you have just five seconds to explain your value proposition to users when they enter to your site. The back button is the most widely used command on the web. If you don’t answer a user’s needs right away, he or she will click “back” and exit your site. Make sure your site features compelling copy that draws readers in and gives them reasons to stay.

Gabriel Shaoolian is CEO of Blue Fountain Media

2. Proper Messaging

The most important aspect of a site is its messaging. The most effective sites feature clear, concise, bit text messaging in no more than a few words. Do not put long paragraphs on your homepage. Your homepage is a gateway into your site. Use short messaging that gets to the point.

3. Call to Action

Look at any successful ecommerce or service provider site and you will notice they include a CTA, or a “Call To Action.” The most common calls to action are “Request a Quote,” “Buy Now,” and “Work With Us.” The best CTAs clarify what you are offering as opposed to forcing people to figure it out on their own. Calls to action should be in the top masthead area and body of a website (above the “fold” that requires the viewer to scroll). If your page is long enough, having another CTA on the bottom of your page is beneficial as well.

4. Building Trust

Building trust is critical if you are selling products or services online. Zappos became successful by offering free shipping and a great return policy. By leveraging the positive experiences of their audience through customer testimonials, Zappos was able to build brand loyalty and grow their business. Similarly, other sites highlight their guarantees and feature certifications or a phone number potential customers can use to contact a real person if any issues occur. These features can make the difference between someone hitting the dreaded back button and making a purchase.

5. Keep it Fresh

Content is still king. You don’t want visitors to your site to see outdated content and think your business isn’t active online, which could affect your bottom line. Your site is your company’s face to the world. Make sure your site shows that your company is up to date on industry trends and is actively engaged by regularly creating new content.

6. Incorporating Social Media

Social media is one of the best ways to build loyalty and establish a brand voice. Make it easy for your audience to share your content by integrating social media into your web design. This simple step provides a great opportunity to create brand advocates who will attract new customers and help your website to drive more sales for your business.

7. Don’t Make Me Think

User experience is the key to any good web design. People should be able to navigate throughout your site without confronting dead ends that cause them to navigate away from your site. Your website’s layout should straightforward so that users can easily move from page to page.

8. Web 2.0 – It’s About the User’s Needs, Not About You

In the early days of the internet, a lot of business websites concentrated on themselves. They went to great lengths to show what they did and why they were a great company. While this hasn’t exactly changed, these days the internet’s best sites are much more focused on what a business can do for a user. Concentrating on what you can do for the user instead of what you want the user to know about you will help your site to become a more effective sales tool.

9. Video

Today’s internet is accessible to users at blistering speeds beyond the wildest dreams of the web of 25 years ago. One of the best ways to take advantage of this new speed is to put multimedia and videos to work for your business. Video allows customers to see what your business is about in a highly relatable way that builds stronger bonds than copy alone.

10. Don’t Reinvent The Wheel

While it can be tempting to build your website from scratch with your own CMS, it is better to use existing open source platforms. WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and Magento (for ecommerce) are great alternatives that are relatively painless to set up and can allow all the functionality you need. These CMS options come with the added bonuses of plug-ins that will simplify your online marketing efforts and support any issues you might encounter.

11. Don’t Fall Behind – Your Competitors Will Beat You

While getting to the #1 position for a great organic keyword or building up a massive and engaged social media following can make you feel like your business is on top of the world, it’s important to not get carried away. One of the best ways to fall behind to your competitors is letting your illustrious rankings or followers go to your head as a sign your work is complete. Always stay on top of your online presence and continuously work to ensure your website is as optimized for business as possible while keeping track of what your competitors are doing as well.

12. Security

This may seem self-explanatory to some, but website security is one of the most important parts of a well-designed site. Never store data on your site that can compromise your business or the privacy of your customers such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, and personal addresses.

13. Start with SEO in Mind

When you are initially designing a website, make your site as optimized as possible for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) concerns. Take note of the terms you want to rank for and use them in the appropriate title tags, URL chains, H1 tags, and H2 tags to help your website rank more highly on search result pages and to help your website generate non-branded organic traffic that leads to new sales.

14. Avoid Long Page Forms

When creating page forms such as request a quote forms or checkout pages, it is important to avoid long page forms. Many people don’t take the time to scroll below the “fold” to see additional content. If your checkout or CTA button is present only at the bottom of a lengthy form, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Many visitors will navigate away from the page in frustration or before they’ve had the chance to fully consider your offer and act.