What does your site say about your company? While you may not have the budget for a full website overhaul, even small changes to the layout and design of your site will make a big impact. Consider implementing these six suggestions:
1. Navigation
Keep your navigation to the point. You might think the words you’re using are fun and on-brand, but in the end, your your customer wants to find the content they need as easily as possible. Creative Cirlcle does a fantastic job of keeping it simple and logical for their users.
I once worked with a client that loved their branded product so much that they used the product name in the main navigation of their site. This caused two major issues. First, because navigation is a key factor in the way search engines index websites, fewer people were finding the company through online searches. Second, potential customers were unfamiliar with the company’s product. Even if they found the website, they had no idea what the name of the product meant. Our recommendation to change the nav helped bump them up from twelve pages deep in a google search to one of the top three results on the first page.
2. Content
Keep your content concise. Customers usually reach your website through a Google search. They already know what they want. You just need to show them what differentiates you from the competition.
A website is not a novel. Get to the point of what your company can offer and make it easy for the customer to take action on that information. A good example of this is Project Fi. This layout helps tell a clear and concise story so that when the user gets to the bottom blue section of the page they are ready to take action.
3. Calls to Action
Use Calls to Action (CTAs) sparingly. When used strategically, CTAs are a fantastic way to encourage a potential customer to engage with your company. Each page of your website should have a clearly defined goal and action. Do you want the user to contact you or make a purchase? Instead of overwhelming visitors with several buttons and links, tell your story and give them an obvious way to act on it. Netflix makes it very clear throughout the experience that they would like you join and they make it easy for you to find out how.
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- Fonts**
Keep fonts consistent.
If you’re not sure which fonts look good together, keep things simple. Stick to one font family and user different weights, sizes, and colors to create hierarchy. In the example below, Slack uses one font, but in a dramatic way. If you still want to use multiple fonts, try just two and never more than three.
I like to use Google Fonts for my digital typography needs. Other helpful resources are Font Pair and Typewolf which allow you to see different font pairings.
5. Graphics and Images
Use these elements to reinforce content. Images can be a wonderful way to guide your customer through your content, but too many graphics can quickly become overwhelming. Make sure that you are using images to illustrate or explain the content of your site.
Images and graphics should also match the overall style of your company. This will help keep your website feeling clean and on-brand. A great example of this is Glam Doll Donuts. Their images are completely on brand and help the user’s eye move through the page.
6. Color
Use color purposefully. Color not only spices up a website, but it also guides customers through your content. If you’re a little shy or unsure about incorporating color, keep it simple. Take a look at your current color palette. Which color stands out the most? Use that color for your CTAs and buttons, places where you want the user to focus their attention.
Here at WebVolta, we love helping customers elevate their web presence. If you’re interested in learning more, contact us. We’d be happy to chat!