It takes less than half a second for viewers to form an opinion about whether they like your website or not, and whether they stick around... or not.
First impressions count - so much so that a study found that 94% of negative website feedback was design-related with participants commenting on:
boring design
bad use of colour
excessive pop-up advertisements
inadequate introductory content
small print
too much text
a corporate look and feel
Here are a few simple steps you can take to form a great impression and keep users on your site.
DESIGN APPEAL
We live in a visual world so let your imagery do some of the talking for you. The current trend for a Homepage, and one that I think works really well, is to have a large, striking photograph that symbolizes your brand (as shown in the image above). If your brand is you, then be brave and have an image of yourself – just make sure the quality and composition is up to a professional standard.
Keep the look of your site uncluttered and your messages short and succinct. If your site is too ‘busy’, with too many messages, people will switch off and potentially miss the most important messages on your site.
Have a consistent style throughout your site. For example: - the same style of images - a colour scheme that fits with your logo and brand - the same font and font sizes (remember, not too small) on each page
Check for typos! A good idea is to ask a colleague or friend to read through your content – it’s very easy to miss typos yourself, only for them to be pointed out by someone else!
ENGAGEMENT APPEAL
The most important written message on your Homepage is your Value Proposition Statement (VPS). This is a short, concise sentence that tells your target audience what value you add. This should be placed in the user's line of view and be the first thing they see and read, and will determine whether they think you can offer something they want. (Email us if you would like more info on how to determine your VPS - there's a simple process to follow that will get you there.)
The second most important written message on your Homepage is your Call to Action (CTA) button. 70% of small business websites lack a CTA on their Homepage, but believe it or not, users want to know what you want them to do. A typical CTA usually sits underneath your Value Proposition Statement - although in the image above it can be seen in the right hand corner, which is still visible and fits well with the site. Either way the purpose is to stimulate your visitor into action and get them reaching out to you.
Write your content as if you are talking to your user so you connect with them on a human level. Do this by using “you”, “your”, “we” or “I”.
Write content that will be useful and interesting. This will keep visitors coming back for more and is also a great way of demonstrating your expertise.
And now for my Call to Action...
If you would like more information about anything in this blog please feel free to email me and I'll be happy to help.
(source: https://www.sweor.com)
