April 26, 2023

How to Design a Website That Converts Like Crazy Ezekiel Muoneke Content Writer Blog April 26, 2023 5:21 pm You’ve probably heard the term “conversion rate optimization” or CRO before. It’s the practice of improving your website to increase the percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a form.  But did you know that CRO is not only about tweaking your copy, headlines, or buttons? It’s also about how you design your website to make it easy, enjoyable, and persuasive for your visitors. In this post, we’ll share six design principles that can help you boost your conversion rate by creating a website that appeals to your audience and guides them towards your goals. 1. Use Visual Hierarchy to Emphasize Your Value Proposition Visual hierarchy is the way you arrange and present the elements on your website to show their importance and relationship. It helps your visitors scan and understand your content quickly and easily. One of the most important elements to highlight with visual hierarchy is your value proposition: the main benefit or reason why someone should choose your product or service over others. Your value offer needs to be attractive, precise, and simple. It should provide a response to the question, “What’s in it for me?” Additionally, it should clearly be displayed on your homepage and landing pages, preferably above the fold (the area of the screen that can be seen without scrolling). To make your value proposition stand out, you can use contrast, size, colour, whitespace, and typography. For example, you can use a large font size, a bright colour, or a bold font weight to draw attention to your headline. You can also use whitespace to create breathing room around your value proposition and make it easier to read. 2. Use Directional Cues to Guide Your Visitors Directional cues are visual elements that point your visitors towards a specific action or location on your website. They can be explicit, such as arrows, pointers, or lines; or implicit, such as eye gaze, body posture, or shapes. Directional cues can help you direct your visitors’ attention and focus to your most important elements, such as your call-to-action (CTA) buttons, forms, or testimonials. They can also help you create a sense of flow and movement on your website and lead your visitors through a logical path towards conversion. For example, you can use an arrow to point to your CTA button and indicate where you want your visitors to click. You can also use an image of a person looking at your CTA button or form to create an implicit cue that influences your visitors’ eye movement. 3. Employ Social Proof to Increase Credibility and Trust Social proof is the phenomenon where people tend to follow the actions or opinions of others, especially when they are uncertain or unfamiliar with something. It’s based on the assumption that if others are doing or saying something, it must be good or true. Social proof can be a powerful tool to persuade your visitors to take action on your website. It can help you build trust and credibility with your audience by showing them that others have already tried and liked your product or service. There are many types of social proof that you can use on your website, such as: • Testimonials: quotes or stories from satisfied customers that highlight the benefits or results of using your product or service. • Reviews: ratings or feedback from customers that show their satisfaction level and experience with your product or service. • Case studies: detailed stories or examples of how customers have used your product or service to solve their problems or achieve their goals. • Logos: logos of reputable brands or organizations that have used or endorsed your product or service. • Awards: badges or certificates that show recognition or achievement from authoritative sources. • Numbers: statistics or data that show the popularity or effectiveness of your product or service. To make your social proof more effective, you should: ~ Choose social proof that matches your target audience and their needs. ~ Display social proof prominently on your website, especially near your CTA buttons or forms. ~ Use specific and authentic social proof that shows real names, photos, locations, or results. ~ To keep it current and useful, regularly update your social proof. 4. Use Colour Psychology to Evoke Emotions and Actions Colour psychology can simply be described as the study of colours and how they affect human feelings, behavior and emotions. Different colours can have different meanings and associations depending on the context and culture. Colour psychology can help you design a website that evokes the right emotions and actions from your visitors. It can help you create a mood and atmosphere that matches your brand personality and values. It can also influence your visitors’ actions and decisions by creating a sense of urgency, curiosity, or trust. To use colour psychology effectively, you should: ~ Understand the general meanings and associations of different colors and how they vary across cultures and contexts. ~ Know your target audience and their preferences, expectations, and emotions. ~ Choose a colour scheme that matches your brand identity and message. ~ Use contrast, harmony, and balance to create visual interest and hierarchy. ~ Test different colours and combinations to see what works best for your website and goals. Here are some examples of how different colors can affect your website design and conversion rate: • Red: Red is a powerful and stimulating colour that can evoke excitement, passion, urgency, or danger. It can be used to draw attention to important elements, such as CTA buttons, headlines, or offers. It can also increase appetite and impulse buying. However, red can also be overwhelming or aggressive if used too much or in the wrong context. It can also signify errors or warnings, so be careful not to confuse your visitors. • Blue: Blue