Summary : The design of your website will have a huge impact on the experience customers have when they visit. So, you’ll need to ensure you get it right if you want to convince people to buy from you. In this article, we’re going to help you by outlining six different design tips that you can implement to improve your website’s conversion rate. Let’s get started!

6 design tips to improve your website's conversion rate

The design of your website will have a huge impact on the experience customers have when they visit. So, you’ll need to ensure you get it right if you want to convince people to buy from you.

In this article, we’re going to help you by outlining six different design tips that you can implement to improve your website’s conversion rate. Let’s get started!

Add calls to action to key pages (and make sure they stand out)

A call to action (CTA) is a prompt that tells your website visitors what they should be doing on your site. This can help to boost your conversions because CTAs act as guides that direct people towards the exact action they should take on your site if they’re interested in what you’re offering.

If you are considering a landing page redesign, you can add CTAs to different pages of your website like your homepage, service pages, product pages, or any other page where you want visitors to take action. And, to ensure they will be effective, you should use strong verbs that tell people what you want them to do. For example, you can use words like “subscribe,” “sign up,” or “download”.

It’s also a good idea to use a bright color for your CTA buttons that will contrast with the background of your site’s pages. So, for instance, if your page has a white background, you’re better off using eye-catching colors like red, blue, or orange for your CTA buttons so they will stand out.

To give you some inspiration, let’s take a look at some examples of websites that have created effective CTAs that stand out.

FreshBooks is a company that provides accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses. Take a look at their website and you’ll see how they use effective CTAs, which come with strong and clear copy that instructs prospective clients to “try it free”.

This works well because people know exactly what they need to do and it also motivates the prospects who aren’t yet ready to make a financial commitment. The company has also used a bright green color for their CTA buttons, which increases the chances of website visitors seeing them and converting.

You can use these same tactics to create effective CTAs for your site and don’t forget to use strong verbs when crafting your CTA copy. If you also have a free resource that you’re offering to your audience, make sure you highlight it, as this can help improve your conversion rate.

Similarly, ZenTao is an open-source project management software and, on the company’s pricing page, you’ll see how they’ve used best practices for creating effective CTAs. Notice how they’ve highlighted the fact that they offer a free 30-day trial so prospects can try out the software without any charge. This could help them convert more website visitors into customers, as some people will want to see how the tool works before making an investment.

Also, take note of how they’ve used a bright orange color that clearly contrasts against the white background to help their instructions stand out as much as possible. When creating CTAs for your site, try to make sure that you also use eye-catching colors that make it easy for people to spot your CTAs and take action.

Always create space for positive social proof

Social proof is very important for boosting your conversions because your website visitors will want to see evidence that shows you’re great at what you do. There are different ways you can show social proof on your site. For instance, you could display reviews and video testimonials from past customers or highlight any media mentions you’ve received from popular sites.

If you would like to start collecting client reviews, simply send an email to past customers to ask how they enjoyed your products or services and if they would recommend you to their family or friends. Alternatively, you could create a survey form and include it in an email you send to former customers of your company so you can get some feedback.

You can display these reviews in the form of star ratings if appropriate, or show off longer testimonials from customers as this allows prospects to get more context about the services you offer.

You could also show any relevant awards or qualifications your company has obtained from notable organizations or draw attention to the well-known customers or clients you’ve worked for, as this can show that you’re proficient in your field

Now, let’s take a look at some examples of businesses that effectively display social proof on their sites to give you some inspiration.

Excel Builders, a custom home building company, shows us how they display social proof by highlighting the testimonials of previous customers on their page for insulated concrete formwork. These customers outline their experiences with the company and talk about how happy they are to have had their homes built by Excel Builders.

They’ve also added the names of their clients, which lends more credibility to the reviews. This approach will do a great job of building trust with the company’s prospects who might then be encouraged to convert to customers.

On your website, you should also try to highlight positive testimonials from past clients so you can convince potential customers to do business with your brand. And, if you want people to trust them, include the name, roles, and possibly headshots of your testimonial providers.

Now, look at the way Banana Republic, an online clothing store, chooses to show its reviews. Take, for example, this page that displays their oversized Merino-cashmere sweater. You’ll see that they’ve included short reviews and ratings from past customers to show how good the product is.

This is a great way to let future customers know there are people who are happy with their purchase and it could motivate prospects to take action and buy from you. If you also own a product-based business, you could decide to use short reviews and ratings just like this one as it allows people to quickly scan through the reviews of your past clients and get more context about your products.

Use imagery that will humanize your business

If you can help people to put a face to your business, they’ll feel far more connected to it and will be more likely to make a purchase. And you can use imagery to help with this. For instance, you can provide images that show your employees having a good time at work so prospects will find it easier to connect with you.

Also, you could create behind-the-scenes content or videos so people can really see the personalities of the people behind your brand and get more familiar with them. To show you an example of how to do this, let’s study how Zendesk humanizes its business with the right photos.

Zendesk, a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, shows us how they humanize their business by displaying photos of their employees. You’ll see that the images they use show how happy their employees are to be working at a company like Zendesk.

This makes it easier for prospective customers to connect with their brand and it also increases the probability that more people will want to convert to customers after seeing how nice and helpful the employees look. Using imagery like this on your website is great for connecting with potential customers, so it’s something you should certainly consider. And try to make sure that your employees look happy and friendly in the images you use as this can make your website visitors feel more at ease with your brand.

Ensure customers can contact you from any web page

When prospective customers have a question or concern, they’ll want to get in touch with your team. And, if they find it hard to do this, they’ll likely leave without making a purchase. To prevent this, you need to ensure that people can contact you from any web page on your site.

There are several contact options you can provide for customers who want to reach out to you. For instance, you could provide a dedicated email address and phone number or install live messaging software on your website so visitors can get in touch with your customer representatives quickly and easily.

Also, when designing your website, you should try to make sure that your contact options are clear and visible, regardless of which web page someone might be on. You can do this by highlighting your contact methods in the menu, footer, and sidebar of your website. You can also use a live chat option that pops up on every page, as this makes it easier for visitors to notice and get in touch with your company.

To give you a practical idea of how this could work, here’s an example of a site that already uses this technique.

Sleeknote is a lead generation tool that helps businesses get more customers. Take a look at their site and you’ll see that they make it easier for prospective clients to get in touch by providing a live chat option that people can see as soon as they get to the site.

Plus, they highlight their phone number in the pop-up and also on the web page by using an animated arrow to get people’s attention. By doing this, they’ve made it easier for visitors to contact the company, regardless of what page they are on, and this is likely to increase their conversion rate.

If you also use phone numbers as a contact option, you can replicate this example by adding design elements that draw attention to your phone number so visitors can notice it. You can also install a live chat feature on your site and make sure that it will be accessible to visitors on different pages of your website.

Make it very easy to take the next step with your business

On your website, you should try to ensure that visitors can take the next steps you want without encountering any problems, as this will improve your conversion rate.

There are a number of ways you can tweak your website design to help with this. For instance, you could provide a sophisticated search feature or use clear CTAs that make it easier for visitors to understand what to do next. You could also provide contact forms or free consultation options that provide a way for prospects to get in touch and ask questions that will help them take the next step with your company.

Now, let’s take a look at some great examples of businesses that use this technique to help visitors take the next step with their brands.

Bounce, a worldwide luggage storage app, makes it very easy for people to take the next steps on their website. For example, take a look at their page for luggage storage services in New York.

You’ll see that they’ve provided an advanced search feature that allows visitors to type in a location and then look through the various luggage storage spots in New York to find one that’s right for them. The search tool is also right in the middle of the page, which makes it easier for visitors to spot and use so they can take the next step and become customers quickly and easily.

Loganix is a marketing agency that provides blog writing services. To help people take the next step on their site, they’ve clearly outlined what visitors need to do if they want to convert. You’ll see the entire process, from handing over a content brief to receiving a sample of the finished article.

This ensures that people know exactly what to do if they want to work with the company, which makes it easier for prospects to get in touch and begin their customer journey. On your website, you should also try to outline the steps that prospective customers will take if they want to become customers, as this could be the push they need to get started.

On the other hand, Smith.ai, a company that provides a 24/7 phone answering service for other businesses, has added a contact form to the top of their service page.

This makes it very easy for people to ask questions about the company’s service and get answers that could help them convert and take the next step in their journey with the brand. Plus, the contact form is very simple and only asks for a few basic details, which might be enough to convince people to give it a try.

When you’re trying to convince people to take the next step with your business, make the process as simple as possible. The easier it is, the more leads you’ll get.

Ensure your website’s main menu is intuitive

If your prospects struggle to find what they’re looking for when they visit your site, it’s possible they’ll leave without making a purchase. This is why you need to simplify things by providing a simple and intuitive menu to help visitors find what they want.

You need to place emphasis on creating simple menus when designing your site, as this should help to improve your conversion rate. It’s also a good idea to use common terms when naming your web pages, as this will make it easier for users to find what they need. For example, instead of using names like “resources” or “knowledge area”, you’ll be better off using the term “blog” as most people will recognize that almost immediately.

The best approach for providing an intuitive menu will depend on the type of business you run, but it is good to take note of these practices when designing your menu. For inspiration, let’s study how Hootsuite has designed an intuitive main menu for its website.

Hootsuite, a social media management company, has their menu bar at the top of the page, where most people will expect to find it, and they’ve streamlined all of their pages to fit into three main categories. This makes their menu less cluttered and gives visitors the chance to find everything they’re looking for quickly and easily.

They’ve also used clear and common names for their web pages so, whether they’re looking for the company’s “blog” or “contact us” page, people won’t have a hard time finding them.

You can also replicate these tactics for your website’s main menu if you want visitors to easily find your web pages and improve the chances of them converting.

Summary

In this article, we’ve looked at some very effective design tips that can help you improve your website’s conversion rate. Adding strong CTAs, showing social proof, or using imagery that humanizes your business can give you great results, so start implementing them now.

Need more tips for improving your website and growing your business? Check out ZenTao’s blog for some helpful information.

Author bio & headshot:

Alex Ratynski is the founder of Ratynski Digital, an online marketing consultancy that focuses on helping small and medium-sized businesses achieve their goals. He set up his company after working as a local SEO director for a dental marketing agency, where he helped to turn clients’ ventures into thriving multi-million dollar businesses. He spends most hours strategizing SEO for his clients.