With an ever-increasing focus on digital marketing in our industry, it’s more important than ever to make sure your online shop-front is attractive, informative and user-friendly. We’ve got a few tips for you to do just that!
1. Simplicity
As a business with plenty to shout about, it can often be tempting to cram in as much information and functionality as you can at all times. Sometimes it’s best to resist this urge! New visitors to your website will want to be met with an experience that is straightforward and easy to understand, so prioritise keeping the overall feel of your website familiar and welcoming.
2. Images
If you have a library of relevant, good quality images or videos at your disposal, using them generously throughout your website can be a great way of drawing (and keeping) the user’s attention. Images of people and faces can be particularly powerful in adding ‘soul’ to your page. Visual media is the most effective way to make your website unique and engaging, so don’t be afraid to show off what you have! If you don’t have a decent image library to hand you can always use stock images from services such as Shutterstock, but make sure to choose your images carefully to present a website that speaks for you as a business.
3. Speed
The speed of your website is hugely important to factors such as SEO, bounce-rate, user retention and conversions. A slow website will cause users to leave, and they won’t come back. A number of factors can affect the speed of your website, such as your server, host, file compression and page optimisation. Keeping site speed in mind when making any changes to your website could save you a lot of stress in the future.
4. Answer questions
Find out what your users are asking, and make sure they know the answer. Key information on your website, whether that be products or contact information, should be easy to locate and hard to miss. Keep your site structure simple and logical, provide all information you think your users might need, and point them towards it with smart use of imagery and colour.
5. Mobile Optimisation
Make sure your website is optimised for mobile devices. In the first quarter of 2020, mobile devices were responsible for over half of all web traffic. Test the experience of a mobile user on your website and ask yourself how it could be improved. Many modern CMS systems will automatically format your mobile website for you, but it’s important to check that images and text formatting are coherent and aesthetically pleasing.
If you would like assistance with the design of your website, we’re here to help! Visit our Website Design service page or contact us to find out what we can do for you.
