3 Crucial Steps to Engaging Website Design

Over the last 20 years the Web has grown tremendously and today’s websites are the best digital marketing tools ever. Therefore, it’s no surprise that website owners and marketers alike are constantly searching for the ultimate design that will attract the increasingly multi-tasked web cruiser and bring in the most sales.

3 Steps to Engaging Website Design

1. Simple and direct interface

   

   Website visitors should be able to find most information within three clicks. In fact, three is a magical number when it comes to websites. It is widely known that you have only three seconds to keep or loose a visitor – in this short amount of time your visitor will make a decision to either engage further or click away. Within the next 30 seconds your visitors should be clear on what your website is about. Within 3 minutes they should have enough information to take the desired action (purchase, sign-up, contact).

   It is important to keep the design simple and only include the information that is necessary. Everything can’t go on the first page but then not only the first page should be a landing page.

   Avoid flash, animations, cheesy icons and other sensory overloads that will surely annoy your visitor. The presentation should be only the background, the information is what your visitor really cares about.

2. Uniqueness.

   

   With the overload of website templates out there it is tempting to go for a pre-designed website at a low cost. Beware of the limitations templates offer, however, and the problem of “sameness” when it comes to overall design. Look at your competitors’ websites and figure out what can you offer that they don’t, what can differentiate you from the rest.

   With a unique design you will make a much stronger impression on your visitor than with a cookie-cutter website.

3. Content should take center stage.

   

   Content arrives in many forms – audio, video, images, text – and it’s increasingly taking center stage. The main goal will still be to influence conversions and sales but these days it must be more than that.

   Google formally rolled out its new Caffeine index and the search engine is now showing 50-percent fresher results. In other words, there is more content available on the Web than ever before so it’s crucial to think of your content as a tool, important asset that needs to help you stand out in this over-saturated market.

   In today’s world consumers want to be entertained, educated. They want insights and answers and if they cannot get it from your site they will get it from to your competitors.

   • Choose an appropriate medium. Most visitors are looking to obtain the information easily and fast. Some of the most powerful ways to connect with your visitors are through images, illustrations, video and infographics (forms, charts, diagrams, maps, lists). Additionally, easy-to-digest content like infographics are a great way to provide complex information to site visitors without overwhelming their experience.
   • Persuade subtly. First demonstrate your knowledge and emphasize the advantages of one solution over another in a gentle yet convincing manner. Educated visitor is more likely to turn into paying customer.

   Understanding who your target audience is comes first. Providing value and thus building your brand is next. Selling your product is the ultimate reward.

In Conclusion

There is obviously more to building an engaging website than described above but these are the most basic and most important ingredients that must be kept in mind. Navigation, layout, visual design, content strategy, functionality, load time etc. – all of these seemingly small details play an important role in overall success of a website.