March 22, 2011

If your website still looks like an online brochure, then you are missing out on the most effective lead generation tool that you have. These seven website design tips will make it easy for your website visitors to become your ideal customers:

1.  Place an identifying tagline at the top. Tell your customer where they’ve landed. The biggest reason people leave or bounce from a website is because they don’t know if they are in the right place or if you have what they are looking for. Use this simple formula as a website positioning statement: [YOUR SITE NAME] is where [YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE] goes to [INSERT WHAT YOU OFFER].

2.  Answer your customers’ questions right away. When people land on your site, they have the following questions: Where am I? What’s this site about? Is this what I’m looking for? How does this compare to what I’m using now? Make sure that you have the answers to those questions easily visible on the site so that your customers know they have landed at a place that has what they are looking for.

3.  Highlight keywords and phrases. Create big headlines and subheads that use the same keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for. If you offer software support for Apple computers, say it BIG and BOLD! Don’t let your audience wonder what you’re about. That might be OK for multi-million dollar Super Bowl commercials, but it doesn’t generate sales. 

4.  Have at least one call-to-action on every page. A call-to-action is what you want your customer to do. For example, do you want them to register for a newsletter, download a white paper or sign up for a webinar? Make sure that you know what you want your audience to do and then make sure that it’s easy for them to take that action. If you want them to call, make sure that phone numbers are big and easy to find. If you want them to download something, make the button big and bold and have it say something like, "DOWNLOAD NOW."

5.  Reduce the number of clicks to get to the gold. Don’t make your customers work to get to the good stuff. The only thing you really need from your website visitors is a first name and an e-mail address—this is just enough to start building a relationship. Give them the good stuff to prove your value, then start building a relationship with them and educating them on your product or service.

6.  Invest in good and descriptive graphics. Make sure that you have a picture of your product on the site—even if it’s a digital product. There are many tools you can use to create a picture or set of digital products. One software option is BoxShot3D.com. Photos and graphics are important, but don’t overdo it. Use graphics that show your product or the benefits of your service. Another great source of photos and graphics is iStockphoto.com.

7.  Create an irresistible offer. Your customer has landed on your site because they hope that you will have a solution to their problem. Create an offer that’s focused on what’s important to them when they are buying what you’re selling. For example: "Download this FREE Report to Learn How to Generate More Leads."

If you’re still not sure how to put these tips into place, then focus on who your audience is and what sites they usually visit. Then click around the sites and evaluate them as a customer. What do you like? What don’t you like? What should those sites do differently to get your business? Then make those ideas a part of your website design.

Related Topics

• Technology

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Ivana Taylor, Article, design, website, Small Business Trends

Join the conversation ( 3 )

• Melissa Clarens 29 days ago

  

  All these points should be taken very seriously. I find number 7. to give me the most headache right now. Writing an e-book that i will be giving for free and it takes a long time to put together something that people really need.Thanx for the guide anyway :)http://www.cubedcherry.co.za

• GARY LAMBERT 4 months ago

  

  When I work with clients on site design and SEO copywriting, I work from a proven template that makes it extremely easy to connect with the audience via the content. The flow of the content is setup like this:Catchy Headline-Question/statistical statement for hook-State pain points & show empathy-Reveal path to solution-Show why the solution is right, connect the customer to the solution -Show benefits of the solution & your business-Call to action to ask for the saleModify as needed to fit the appropriate home page or landing page. It works consistently for improving conversion rates while also providing ample room for keyword placement to effectively optimize your landing pages.

• TJ McCue 1 year 1 months and 12 days ago

  

  Ivana, terrific ideas here. I did a similar post based on all the reviews I do and I agree with everything you've said. I had not considered identity at the top as strongly as you have, but it is logical. I also hear a lot of people talking about the value of breadcrumbs in your page nav, but not so sure about that. I like the idea of simplifying your pages so they can get to the "goods" faster and easier. That makes it possible to create a better call to action, too. If you have too many competing interests on the page, then its hard to focus someone's attention on one offer. Speaking of all this optimizing, I better get back to my site and make some improvements!! Thanks for the advice.