Web design rather superficially. “It looks nice.” “I like the colour scheme.” “The images are so big and bold. I love it.” That’s the extent of their analysis. But, web design means more than what meets the eyes. It should also function as a tool that drives traffic and converts visitors into customers. If your site doesn’t work well, if it takes forever to load or if it doesn’t deliver a seamless user experience, then it can affect your entire internet marketing strategy. With that in mind, here are some of the elements that might be killing your conversion rates without you even realising.
Web Features That May Jeopardise your Conversion Rate
1. Using Stock Images
When it comes to great web design, there are a few elements that make websites stand apart. Flat design, great use of white space, and different font size to highlight important features, all play a crucial role in designing a page that will keep users engaged. But, images are perhaps one of the most important details. Not only that they give personality to your site, but they have been shown to increase engagement by up to 94%. That’s huge! Here’s the deal, though: not any image will do. In one experiment, Visual Website Optimizer staged a competition between a stock image and a real photo. They found that the real image drove 161% more CTA clicks than the stock photo and improved conversion by 38.4%.
2. Massive Visuals
Stock images are a bad idea, and you probably already know that. But, how about high-resolution visuals that stretch across the entire screen? They are sure to make an impression on your visitors, right? Well, yes, but not in a positive way. The problem with massive visuals is that they usually take too much to load. And, internet users aren’t particularly known for their patience. What does site speed have to do with conversion, you may be asking yourselves? According to Google, if a page takes seven seconds to load, the bounce rate increases by 113%. If people aren’t sticking around long enough to get to know your products and unique selling proposition, the probability of conversion decreases dramatically.
3. Carousel Sliders
Numerous studies have shown that carousel sliders slow down pages, disrupt user experience, and don’t work on mobile devices. Moreover, they have an incredibly low click-through rate and perform terribly regarding conversions. However, a lot of businesses are still using them in their web design. If you need to use carousel sliders to highlight your products or offers, don’t go over the board with them. Limit yourself to only two or three slides and make sure they convey your message succinctly and effectively.
4. Boring CTA Button
Imagine you’ve just landed on a site that offers online internet advertising lessons. You are intrigued and would like to learn more. At the end of the page, you see three CTA buttons – one is urging you to register for a free trial, one is asking you to schedule a demon, and there’s also a Contact Us button. You are confused about what to do next, so you leave. Can you tell what the problem was? The page features three equally weighted call-to-actions with no clear indication of which one is the primary one. Here’s the thing: people on the internet need to be told what to do next. If they’re confused about the steps they should take or overwhelmed by too many options, they leave without doing anything at all. Use clear CTA buttons to guide them in the right direction.
Conclusion
There’s more to website design than just looks. A pretty site that doesn’t perform well is less likely to convert visitors into customers. Take a look at your site and make sure you are not making any of the mistakes above.
