Top 20 Tips To Improve Your Website Redesign Process

Web Design Tips to Generate More Leads Online

October 4, 2024/in Articles, Directors, Website Growth Driven Design /by Nicole Wagner

Building a website for your company is great, but building a website that doesn’t generate any leads online is, well, not so great. Fortunately designing a site that brings in leads doesn’t have to be too hard or overwhelming. Follow our web design tips below on how to design a user-friendly website that will draw people in and convert them on the spot.

Web Design Tips for More Leads

1. Know Your Audience

The first step before designing your site is to know your audience. You’ll want to create a persona that is a fictitious person that encompasses the characteristic of your typical customer. You can include demographics like age, gender, interests, purchasing habits, online behavior, job positions, hobbies or any other characteristics that you think will influence your target audience’s purchasing decisions. Once you have your personas developed you will be able to create your content based on what would be interesting to them.

This will save you a lot of time and effort that would have been wasted going after people that have little to no interest in what you have to offer. You wan to provide value with your content so it should be centered on how you solve the challenges and problems of your persona so that when they’re looking for solutions they find you.

According to HubSpot, using marketing personas can make your website 2-5 times more effective.

2. Make sure your website is well optimized

That last part brings us to our next tip – optimizing your website. Your audience is researching solutions to their challenges online way before they ever contact you. Website optimization or SEO is how they find your website when conducting their research.

To get the most out of your SEO you’ll want to design your content around your audience and not around search engines. Publishing content without value to your audience is not going to get you anywhere. Look for your target audience’s pain points, what they are searching for, and what terms or keywords are they interested then match the keywords in your content to the same terms. You’ll want to look for:

Keywords with a high number of searches
Keywords with a low competition

Download our guide for more on website optimization techniques.

3. Have compelling CTAs

Driving leads online to your site that don’t convert is essentially useless so you’ll want to capture their contact information. In order to push your website traffic to the sales funnel you’ll want to have compelling CTAs on pages that cause users to take a specific action. Your call to action must offer your user something they would want in exchange for their information. This will allow you to follow up and nurture the site traffic into customers long after they have left your site pages. The most compelling CTAs that cause users to convert include:

A visible position
A clear offering
An image or other visible component to grab attention
A link to a landing page where they will fill in their information to receive offer
A landing page that matches what the CTA had to offer
A simple form on the following landing page
A strong follow-up email

4. Add Testimonials and Case Studies To Your Website- Video is Best

Testimonials are a great way to attract and convert more leads. People love to see success stories and would be more compelled to contact you if they see that you helped solve problems for companies that were facing the same challenges they’re facing. Video testimonials are the best way to convey your success stories as they put a face and voice behind your success and instantly become more believable. Seeing the face of a happy smiling customer will make you seem trustworthy in the eyes of your potential customers compelling them to want to work with you to achieve the same results.

5. Measure and Test, Test, Test

This is a simple step but sadly often overlooked. Be sure to test everything on your site for bugs as nothing can make your audience flee faster than a broken link or bad user experience. A/b test different website page or content offers to see which one is more of interest to your visitors and consistently add new content to your site to improve your site.

Keep these tips in mind when designing your site and you’ll have an online “salesperson” that drives in qualified online leads ready to convert.

20 Tips To Improve Your Website Redesign Process

September 14, 2024/in Articles, Attraction Marketing, Directors, Website Growth Driven Design /by Nicole Wagner

Your website is your audience’s first impression of your business and what you have to offer. Now more than ever, you only get one chance to make that first impression count. With the ever-growing competition and rapid advancements in technology, your website must stay up-to-date. The website redesign process ensures your site keeps pace with technological changes while delivering fresh, engaging content. An essential part of attraction marketing is drawing in your target consumer, and a modernized website plays a key role in achieving that.

Time For A Website Redesign

The website redesign process may seem like a daunting task; however, it doesn’t mean you have to completely overhaul your site. In fact, a redesign can simply involve changing graphics, rearranging page layouts, or making other small design adjustments.

Before you begin your website redesign process, it’s crucial to come up with a strategy first. Without a well-thought-out plan, your redesign could end up costing more and include elements that are inconsistent with what your audience wants to see. Since your website is your most valuable marketing asset, spending time strategically planning the redesign is vital to your overall sales success. Therefore, start your redesign process with a thorough evaluation of your business KPIs and use this to elevate your site to the next level.

The Website Redesign Process- Why Content Comes First?

20 Website Redesign Tips

1. Start with user testing to see what elements work for your users and which don’t.

2. Define the top three things you want to accomplish with your site.

3. Sketch out the new layout.

4. Go though the sales funnel of your site to see if it’s easy for a user to navigate.

5. Keep your conversion funnel as simple as possible.

6. Implement multiple lead capturing opportunities to grab your visitor’s email as much as possible.

7. Implement social media buttons prominently.

8. Have contact information be the easiest information to find on the site.

9. Select a color theme and typography that flows well together and maintain consistency on every page.

10. Keep call to actions limited to one to two per page.

11. Utilize motion in terms of layout and videos or image carousels.

12. Build a prototype of the new layout and have user testings performed before going live.

13. Think outside of the box by using disruptive imagery or bold colors.

14. Double check spelling and grammar- actually triple check.

15. Test all links and make sure they point people where they want them to go to.

16. Test site and mobile speed.

17. Make sure mobile site is user friendly and design elements maintain aspect ratios.

18. Optimize all of your pages for SEO and implement target keywords in page title, meta description, meta keywords, and page content.

19. Include some extra or fun pages. Users are expecting the standard contact, about us, and product/services pages. Make your website stand out with some fun or unique pages such as an FAQ page, a quiz page to match users to products/services, or industry pages that are directly relevant to users.

20. Incorporate testimonials.

In conclusion, a website redesign is not just about aesthetics; it’s about ensuring your online presence reflects the current needs of your business and resonates with your target audience. By carefully planning and strategically implementing the redesign process, you can create a modern, engaging website that enhances user experience, strengthens your brand, and drives conversions. Whether you’re making small updates or significant changes, putting your audience first and aligning with your business goals will ensure long-term success. Remember, your website is a vital marketing tool—investing in its redesign is an investment in the future of your business.

The Website Redesign Process- Why Content Comes First?

August 16, 2024/in Articles, Directors, Website Design, Website Growth Driven Design /by Debbie Szwast

The decision to redesign a website marks a major milestone in the growth of a business. It is a time to boost the brand image, refresh the look and content of the website, and update all the product listings and sales offers. Interestingly enough, although refreshing your website content is often ignored during the website redesign process, it should actually be near the top of the list.

Why Should You Refresh the Copy on Your Redesigned Website?

Copying over existing content from an old website to a new one seems like a good way to save money. However, it can actually end up costing you more in the long run. Instead refreshing your website will benefit your company in the following ways:

Your refreshed copy will give your new website a different layout, complete with latest in website design. Trying to force outdated content from an old web page onto your new site is not the best use of your time and resources.
Your refreshed website will reflect your current branding and product mix. More than likely, the focus of your business has changed since your last website redesign. You want your website to reflect this growth.
Your refreshed content on your new website will rank higher on search engines because it will be current and optimized. If your old content is not ranking well, copying it over to your new website is pointless. In fact, search engines could see it as duplicate content, which will pull your rankings even lower.
You’ll give your customers the new, relevant content they crave. Fresh and consistent content will attract more visitors to your website as well as increase customer loyalty.

How Does Copy Fit Into the Website Redesign Process?

With so much riding on your website redesign, you need to make sure to hire the best people for the job. A copywriter is a critical member of the team who brings a specific skill set to the project. A good copywriter should be able to present a company’s benefits and key selling points. They should also understand the ins and outs of search engine optimization and know how to develop copy that search engines will love.

Developing copy begins in the earliest stages of website redesign. The site map, developed during the design phase, organizes each page on the site and identifies the content needed for each page. This is where the copywriter’s job comes in.

While the website designer works on wire frames, the copywriter begins developing content. Eventually, the two come together, marrying the design elements of the website with the copy contained within. This stage gives the team the ability to see how well the new design showcases the content, and vice versa.

Also Read: Do You Need to Redesign Your Website

After design approval, production begins. This is when the copywriter develops final copy and applies it to the new web page at the appropriate time. Although refreshing your new website’s copy may take work, it will pay off soon enough and give you a leg up on the competition.

Do You Need to Redesign Your Website?

July 2, 2024/in Articles, Directors, Marketing Strategy, Website Design, Website Growth Driven Design /by Nicole Wagner

If your website has sat untouched for more than a few years, then there’s a good chance that it might be in need of an overhaul. Your website should be continually bringing in new leads, increasing your brand awareness and establishing your brand authority. If your website isn’t currently doing these things, then you’re not only limiting your ability to grow; you’re also helping your competitors as a direct result.

When To Redesign Website

If you’re wondering if you need a website redesign, then you’ll want to look for specific reasons that show your website needs improvements. The following are some major reasons to know when to redesign your website:

Your brand has undergone change

It’s not uncommon for a company to undergo a change in branding. This can happen if the company changes ownership or has changed direction; for example, to concentrate on a more niche market or to target a different audience. If your brand has changed, your website needs to reflect this. Keep in mind that your brand identity consists of much more than just your offerings or your logo. It’s your company’s narrative. Brand storytelling is how you get your audience to connect with you and to relate to you. Because of this, it needs to be prevalent throughout your site.

Your website ranks poorly

Every website receives rankings from Google. These rankings determine your site’s exposure on Google’s search engine results pages (SERP). Google uses its rankings to ensure that its users are provided with search results that are relevant and of high quality. The higher your ranking is, the more exposure you’ll have to people searching for topics relevant to your site. If your site ranks poorly, it means that you’re getting little exposure. This will also limit how much traffic your website will receive. Your redesign needs to implement the best practices of search engine optimization (SEO) to ensure a strong ranking.

Here are ten ways to use Google Trends to increase your SEO

Your website user-experience needs improvement

Some of the factors that influence your website’s user-experience include how long it takes your webpages to load and how easy your site is to navigate. If your pages take too long to load or your visitors don’t know how to find what they are looking for, they’re likely to leave. Additionally, if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, it’s going to affect the way that your site is displayed on mobile devices. A lack of mobile optimization makes it difficult for mobile users to browse through your site.

Also Read: The Importance of Having a Mobile Optimized Website

Your website could improve its conversion rate

If the ratio of purchases and opt-ins to your number of visitors is lower than you would like it to be, then there’s likely an issue with how your site is addressing each stage of the sales funnel. Your website should nurture visitors at every stage, whether they are looking for information about your company or product or whether they are ready to make a purchase. You should also have calls-to-action that are relevant to each page and that help drive your leads to convert.

Your website could use an updated look

Aesthetics matter. The look of your website is going to leave a big first impression on your visitors. Consider the look of some of the websites you use on a regular basis. Today’s websites have generally moved to a cleaner and more elegant look.

You don’t regularly update your website

Your website generates all kinds of useful data you can leverage to improve your website’s design and adjust your marketing strategies. By implementing a growth-driven design model, you can continually update your website based on your website data, which you can gather using analytics. This will also allow you to focus your resources on areas where it will benefit your brand the most and to adjust strategies that aren’t working.

Want more resources on how to redesign your website? Click here!

How to Conduct a Thorough Website Audit for Improved Performance

April 18, 2024/in Articles, Direct Marketing, Directors, Inbound Marketing, Website Design, Website Growth Driven Design /by Terry Becker

Conducting a website audit is an essential task if you’re looking to enhance your online presence. A comprehensive audit helps you understand key areas of improvement and optimization across various aspects of your website. From user experience (UX) and search engine optimization (SEO) to conversion rate optimization (CRO), each element plays a significant role in how effective your website is in achieving your business goals. In this article, we’ll explore how to audit a website effectively by focusing on these major components.

UX: Enhancing User Friendliness

User experience (UX) is critical because it determines how easily visitors can interact with your site. A positive UX increases engagement, reduces bounce rates, and improves overall satisfaction. Here are key metrics to evaluate:

Navigation Ease: How quickly can users find what they need? Assessing navigation involves examining site structure and menu layouts to ensure information is logical and easily accessible, which helps in reducing user frustration and increasing retention.
Page Load Time: Faster pages provide a better experience. Quick loading times are essential for keeping user interest. Optimize images, streamline code, and leverage browser caching to enhance speed and prevent potential visitors from leaving in annoyance.
Mobile Responsiveness: Is your site easy to use on all devices? A mobile-responsive website automatically adjusts to the screen size and orientation of the device it is being viewed on, providing a seamless experience for smartphone and tablet users.
Visual Appeal: Does your design attract and keep attention? Effective visual design not only draws visitors in but also plays a crucial role in creating a positive first impression. Ensure your site uses compelling layouts, appropriate colors, and readable fonts to enhance user engagement.

Assessing these areas will help you understand how user-friendly your site is, which is the first step in learning how to audit a website.

SEO: Boosting Visibility

Search engine optimization (SEO) is about increasing your site’s visibility and driving the right kind of traffic to your website. Key aspects to focus on include:

Keyword Optimization: Are you using the right keywords that your target audience is searching for? Proper keyword optimization ensures your content appears in relevant searches, boosting visibility and driving targeted traffic to your website.
Content Quality: Is your content relevant, useful, and well-written? High-quality content is crucial for engaging readers and encouraging them to interact with your site. It should be informative, easy to read, and directly address the needs of your visitors.
Meta Tags and Descriptions: Do they effectively describe and promote your content? Meta tags and descriptions play a key role in search engine ranking and user click-through rates. They should be concise, include targeted keywords, and accurately summarize the page content.
Link Health: Are your links functional and do they contribute to your authority? Maintaining healthy links is essential for SEO. Ensure all internal and external links are functional, relevant, and use proper anchor text to boost your site’s credibility and authority.

Improving these areas will help ensure that the right users find your site, a crucial component of how to audit a website.

CRO: Converting Visitors into Customers

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) focuses on what users do once they visit your site. The goal here is to maximize the percentage of visitors who complete desired actions, whether it’s subscribing to a newsletter or making a purchase. Evaluate these elements:

Call to Action (CTA): Are your CTAs clear and compelling? Effective CTAs guide users towards desired actions with clear, urgent language. Ensure they stand out visually and are placed strategically across your site to maximize engagement as well as conversion rates.
User Pathways: Is it easy for users to convert? Simplify the user journey to enhance conversions. Analyze the flow from initial contact to final action to identify and remove obstacles, ensuring a smooth, straightforward path that facilitates user progression in addition to increasing the likelihood of conversion.
A/B Testing: Are you continually testing and optimizing user pathways? Implement regular A/B testing to compare different versions of your site elements, from headlines to CTAs, to determine which variations perform the best, thereby continuously refining user experience and increasing conversion efficiency.
Checkout Process: Is it streamlined and secure for users? A streamlined checkout process reduces cart abandonment and enhances user trust. Ensure the process is quick, requires minimal steps, and employs robust security measures like SSL encryption to protect user data.

By focusing on these points, you can ensure that your site not only attracts visitors but also encourages them to take action.

Integrating Advanced Tools and Strategies

To effectively audit and enhance your website, employing advanced tools and strategies is pivotal. Utilizing a website redesign analytics tool can provide insights into how changes to your site can influence user behavior and SEO performance. Additionally, understanding why a content audit is important will guide you in refining your content strategy to meet the expectations of your audience. Moreover, implementing essential website updates for senior living communities can significantly enhance user engagement and satisfaction in targeted demographics such as seniors.

Steps to a Successful Audit

Here are some practical steps to follow when auditing your website:

Initial Review: Start with an overall review to understand the site’s current state.
Detailed Analysis: Dive deep into UX, SEO, and CRO elements.
Tool Integration: Utilize specialized tools to gather data and insights.
Action Plan Development: Based on your findings, develop a strategy to address weaknesses and capitalize on strengths.
Implementation and Monitoring: Apply changes and closely monitor impacts to ensure desired improvements are achieved.

Enhancing Your Website’s Effectiveness

Understanding how to audit a website involves a detailed examination of its UX, SEO, and CRO elements. By assessing these areas thoroughly and integrating strategic tools, you can significantly enhance your site’s effectiveness, ultimately leading to better user engagement, improved search engine rankings, and increased conversions. Remember, a successful website audit is not a one-time activity but a continuous improvement process to keep your site performing at its best.

Website Redesign: Key Strategies For Revitalizing Your Digital Front Door in 2024

March 20, 2024/in Articles, B2B Marketing, Directors, Inbound Marketing, Website Design, Website Growth Driven Design /by Terry Becker

Website redesign can be a pivotal step in refreshing your brand’s online presence. As you plan your redesign in 2024, keep these best practices and trends in mind to ensure your website is both modern and effective.

1. Learn from Your Current Website

Before starting a website redesign, it’s crucial not to disregard the wealth of insights your current site holds. Analyzing existing user data and feedback serves as a foundational step that uncovers the strengths and weaknesses of your website. This will effectively inform your redesign strategy. Delving into analytics to examine user interactions and behaviors is key. Metrics such as page views, bounce rates, and conversion paths shed light on what aspects of your site engage users and which areas need enhancement. Additionally, reflecting on past design decisions that may have fallen short is essential. Recognizing and learning from these mistakes ensures they are not repeated. This sets the stage for a more informed and successful redesign. This approach not only preserves valuable elements but also transforms insights into actionable strategies for improvement.

2. Understand Your Audience’s Website Needs

Investigate the reasons people visit your site: Understanding why users come to your site is crucial. Are they looking for information, a specific product, or service? Tailoring your redesign to meet these needs can enhance user satisfaction and engagement.
Ensure your redesign meets visitor needs and removes obstacles: Your redesign should focus on streamlining the user experience. Identify any existing barriers to conversion and address them. A user-friendly design encourages longer visits and more interactions.
Use the LIFT model: This model helps refine your website’s value proposition by focusing on clarity, reducing user anxiety, minimizing distractions, and adding urgency where appropriate. Applying these principles can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your redesign.

3. Focus on Customer-Centric Website Design

When designing, it’s important to prioritize the needs and preferences of your target audience over the temptation to solely highlight product features or technological capabilities. An overly product-centric approach can lead to designs that don’t fully resonate with users. To avoid overlooking crucial elements that matter to your audience, actively engage with them through surveys, interviews, and other feedback mechanisms. This direct interaction uncovers what users genuinely value and expect from your site. Incorporating insights gained from these engagements into your redesign ensures that the outcome is not only aesthetically pleasing but also functionally in tune with what your audience seeks. This user-centered approach to design makes for a more effective and satisfying user experience.

4. Integrate Copy and Design from the Start

Avoid a design-first approach: Integrating copywriting and design from the outset ensures coherence between your message and visual elements. This collaboration can lead to a more cohesive and compelling user experience.
Engage copywriters early: Involve content creators early in the redesign process to ensure the textual content aligns with design elements, enhancing the overall narrative and user journey on your site.
Ensure the copy is persuasive and complements the design: The right words can elevate a good design to a great one. Ensure your copy is compelling, clear, and effectively guides users toward desired actions or conversions.

5. Be Cautious with Metrics

When considering metrics, it’s essential to select those that meaningfully signify success. Instead of relying on superficial indicators like bounce rates, it’s beneficial to delve into metrics that truly mirror user engagement and satisfaction. Metrics such as conversion rates, average session duration, and user feedback are more indicative of the overall user experience. They can provide a clearer picture of how well a site meets its users’ needs. Prioritizing these metrics, which closely align with business objectives and user satisfaction, can offer valuable insights into the redesign’s effectiveness and its return on investment. This focused approach ensures that the metrics used are not just numbers but valuable tools in assessing and enhancing the website’s impact and performance.

6. Clean Up SEO and Enhance Accessibility During Your Website Redesign

Use the redesign as an opportunity to improve SEO and website accessibility: A redesign is the perfect time to audit and enhance your site’s SEO and accessibility. This ensures your site is discoverable and usable by a wider audience, including those with disabilities.
Consolidate content and use clear, keyword-rich URLs: Streamlining your content and optimizing URLs can boost your SEO efforts. It makes your site more navigable for users and search engines alike.
Ensure the website is accessible to all users: Compliance with accessibility standards is not only ethical but also expands your audience reach. An accessible site provides a better experience for all users, including those using assistive technologies.

7. Manage Tech Changes Carefully

If you’re thinking about making changes to both the design and underlying technology of your platform, proceed with caution. Undertaking changes in both areas simultaneously can result in user confusion or technical complications, potentially disrupting the user experience. To ensure a seamless transition, it’s important to maintain continuity in user-facing elements so they transition smoothly into the new environment. These user-facing elements include login credentials and personal preferences. To further mitigate risks, you might want to separate the implementation of design updates from changes to the backend or platform technology. This staggered approach allows for the isolation of issues, making them easier to identify and resolve, thereby minimizing the impact on users and enhancing the overall update process.

8. Prioritize User Research

Grounding your redesign in thorough user research rather than merely chasing the latest trends ensures that your website aligns with the real needs and preferences of your target audience. By letting user feedback and research insights steer your redesign efforts, you can tailor your site to meet the specific requirements of your audience. This focus on what truly resonates with your users can lead to a significant boost in engagement and satisfaction, making your site not just aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and user-centric.

9. Avoid Overhauling Everything at Once

Focus on the redesign without making drastic changes to other aspects of your digital presence: A focused approach allows you to monitor the impact of your redesign more accurately without the noise of other simultaneous changes.
Allow time to establish a new baseline: After implementing your redesign, give it time to settle. Monitor key metrics to establish a new performance baseline, which can then inform further optimization and updates.

Elevating Your Online Presence

As you embark on redesigning your website in 2024, remember the importance of building on past insights, prioritizing your audience’s needs, and integrating content and design harmoniously. By focusing on meaningful metrics and making informed changes, you can elevate your online presence and better serve your visitors.

FREE DOWNLOAD 25 Website Must Haves Check out our guide for driving traffic in leads and sales!

The Importance Of Having A Professional Web Design Service For Your Business

January 25, 2024/in Articles, Digital, Directors, Inbound Marketing, SEO, Website Design, Website Growth Driven Design /by Terry Becker

It doesn’t matter how big or small your company is, you need a website. If you don’t have a website, you’re without a doubt going to lose out on a lot of potential customers. This is because simply having a website is one of the most effective ways to generate awareness of your business. However, just having a website isn’t enough. You will want to have a professionally designed website to ensure that it’s technically sound, visually appealing, and user-friendly. While you might consider building your website yourself in order to save money, the following are a few reasons why it’s worth investing in a professional web design:

Importance of Professional Website Design Service For Your Business

1. Build A Unique Website

Building a website from the ground up is something few companies have the resources to do, which means that they end up using basic website templates. A professional website design service will be able to customize your website by tailoring it to your specific needs. As a result, you will be able to provide a unique website experience to your visitors that will help your business stand out. Additionally, they will be able to create a consistent aesthetic that accurately reflects your brand, thereby helping to strengthen your branding efforts.

2. Prevent Technical Issues

Professional web design services know what they are doing. They have massive amounts of experience and technical expertise. As such, when they develop websites, they ensure that there are no technical issues that will cause your website to crash or to function poorly. Even minor technical issues, such as slow loading times, can hurt your marketing efforts significantly. A technically sound website reflects positively on your brand as well. Additionally, a professional service can monitor your website for potential issues and address them before they have a big effect on your visitors.

3. Ensure Site Security

Website security is incredibly important. If you’re taking personal information from your visitors, such as their names and email addresses, then you have a responsibility to ensure that this data is secure. If you have an e-commerce page through which customers are providing their credit card information, then this is even more critical. A professional web design service will keep your website secure using all of the latest website security tools and practices, including HTTPS protocol.

4. Optimize Website For SEO

Optimizing your website for SEO (search engine optimization) involves a lot more than just throwing a few keywords in your content. A good website developer understands this and will build a site architecture that supports strong SEO. For example, they will build a site map that makes it easy for Google to crawl through your pages and to index them. Without an effective site map, search engines may miss pages when crawling through your website, which means that they won’t be ranked on their SERP (search engine results page). Additionally, proper keyword use in URLs, effective internal linking, and a lack of technical issues all contribute to good SEO.

Similar Article: 6 Web Design Principals to Increase Conversions

5. Update Your Website

New technology is continually emerging, especially when it comes to websites. A brand new website can become outdated within just a year. A professional web design service can keep your website updated and implement new features that can improve the website experience over time. For example, it wasn’t that long ago that chatbots were first developed and now it’s not uncommon for a website to have one. Trying to add new features to your website on your own can be quite difficult and can cause issues with other parts of your site, which is why it’s best to let a professional do it for you.

6. Save Time

The amount of time that it takes to create a website cannot be overstated. Whether you’re building a website to completion or implementing a growth-driven design, it’s going to require a significant amount of time to do. Not to mention that the website will need to be regularly monitored and updated as well. By letting a professional web design service take care of your website, you will be able to focus your time on growing your core business.

7. Save Money

Many companies attempt to build their websites on their own because they think that they can save money this way; however, they’re more likely to lose money in the long run. Website design requires a lot of different skillsets, which means that you would have to take on more employees. Since running a website is a long-term strategy, these employees would have to be permanent. It’s more affordable to outsource to a professional web design service.

Ultimately, your website is a reflection of your business. If it’s of poor quality or appears unprofessional, potential customers will second guess the quality of your products or services. With that in mind, it’s worth investing in a professional web design.

The Importance of Having a Mobile Optimized Website

November 8, 2023/in Articles, Digital, Digital Media, Directors, Marketing Strategy, Search & Social, SEO, Website Design, Website Growth Driven Design /by Terry Becker

More and more people are using mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to surf the web. At this point in time, more people are using their mobile devices to perform searches than they’re using computers. Roughly 60 percent of organic search engine visits occur on mobile devices in the U.S., according to Statista. This means that if you have a website, then you should consider optimizing it for mobile use. In fact, not having a mobile could actually be detrimental to your marketing efforts.

What is a Mobile Optimized Website?

You need to understand the differences between a mobile friendly site and a mobile optimized site. A mobile friendly website accurately displays on smaller screens. It usually appears as a smaller version, although it may not always work perfectly on touchscreen tablets. It should, however, still be functional. Mobile friendly websites also have features such as text-based phone numbers or email addresses that can trigger direct calls or email messages via mobile devices or slideshows and image rotators that function without Flash support.

While a mobile friendly site helps ensure your site functions on mobile devices, mobile optimization goes a step further. A mobile optimized site reformats itself for mobile devices. It not only makes sure to properly display on smaller screens, but also makes the site much easier to navigate. It reformats content, displays larger navigation buttons and optimizes images according to screen size.

The Benefits of a Mobile Optimized Website

Responsive design helps ensure the mobile optimization of your website. This tends to cost more to develop, but it ensures the mobile optimization of every aspect of your website. This will provide significant benefits over the long run. The following benefits result from a mobile optimized website:

Improve your user experience

User experience is essential. If you don’t provide a good user experience, visitors will leave and they won’t return. The mobile experience is much different from the computer experience. Visitors need to be able to read your web pages with ease, click links without zooming in, and navigate your site on a smaller screen. Without mobile optimization, users often struggle to read or navigate websites on mobile devices.

Improve website speed

When you optimize your website to meet mobile standards, then your website should load quickly. Websites that aren’t properly optimized for mobile often take a while to load, especially when they use Flash elements. Mobile users simply aren’t going to spend time on your site if they can’t get your pages to load. By improving the speed of your site, you’re more likely to keep visitors on your site for longer periods.

Increase user engagement

A mobile optimized website increases the likelihood of engaging your visitors. This is because visitors will spend more time on your site navigating through content. They will also be able to interact with your site, whether it be by liking content, clicking on CTAs, or even contributing to your comment sections.

Learn more about mobile with these Mobile Marketing Strategy

Increase average time on site

When you provide a good user experience to mobile users, they will end up spending more time on your website. The longer they spend on your site, the more likely they are to convert or return again later.

Improve your mobile SEO

A few years ago, your mobile SEO wouldn’t affect your regular SEO. However, due to how many mobile users there are now, Google has begun factoring a website’s mobile SEO into their regular SEO. This means that if you don’t have a website that’s optimized for mobile use, it will actually hurt your SEO.

Attract more local customers

Mobile SEO is extremely important to local SEO. Many people will perform search queries on the go when they are looking for a specific business. These people want to buy. If they are near your physical location and they find your website while doing a mobile search, they’re more likely to drop in and make a purchase. Poor mobile SEO will translate to poor local SEO, thereby potentially hurting your ability to attract local customers.

Grow Your Business With Mobile Optimization

Considering how many people use mobile devices to perform search queries and explore the web, the importance of a mobile optimized website can’t be overstated. If you do not optimize your website design for mobile use, you risk losing a significant part of your target audience.

Learning from the Best: 10 Examples of Great Website Design

September 6, 2023/in Articles, Digital, Digital Media, Inbound Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Website Design, Website Growth Driven Design /by Mark Beebe

Building a website is simple. But designing a website that meets all the modern web design requirements and works for your unique customers and business is challenging. Most companies create compelling websites but end up sacrificing performance or the user experience. Others prioritize simplicity and convenience but end up with poorly optimized sites. In the sections below, you’ll explore 10 examples of great website designs to inspire your creativity the next time you design a website.

1. Dropbox

If there’s one website that has done a great job designing a super rsponsive website, it’s got to be Dropbox. This cloud storage and file hosting company has made sure that every site visitor, regardless of the device they use to access the site, enjoys the best navigation, graphics, and content.

Every aspect of the site design, from the font color to the navigation buttons, has been carefully customized for every device, ensuring compatibility and interactive experiences for the varying screen sizes.

For instance, on the desktop, a small arrow directs users to scroll down for more content, helping to minimize the bounce rate. However, this is absent on the mobile version, as users are more likely to scroll down easily.

2. Freshbooks

Freshbooks is an accounting website with one of the best homepage designs, thanks to the simple and minimalist copy, inspiring visuals, and the strategic use of white space in web design. The site also uses a perfect blend of colors with easy-to-spot CTA buttons. There’s also a well-organized navigation system that makes it easier for first-time site visitors to find solutions to their complex accounting problems.

3. Walmart

Walmart is one of the leading online marketplaces offering a one-stop shopping experience. The retail giant has prioritized convenience by streamlining the checkout process. Once you’ve selected the items you want to buy, you won’t be taken to a new checkout page. Instead, an on-page checkout sidebar allows you to complete your shopping without even signing up. A cart storage option saves your cart for up to three days if you forget to complete the checkout process or are distracted while on the site.

4. Nike

Nike is one of the leading sportswear companies whose success is rooted in simplicity and convenience. The same is reflected on its website, which prioritizes a minimalist design and easy navigation. Nike’s checkout process, for instance, is one of the simplest yet super interactive. If you enter the correct information during checkout, a green checkmark appears, allowing you to continue shopping.

There’s also an auto-fill address feature that saves you time during checkout. By simplifying the time-consuming steps and focusing on web design principles that boost conversions, Nike has successfully attracted and even retained more converting prospects.

5. Uber

Uber falls into the category of companies that prioritize their homepage design, and it’s obvious why. Imagine landing on the Uber website and reading through needless copy, images, or videos before requesting your ride. Now think of a ride-sharing or service company that has made its home page simple, straightforward, and effective. You need to choose what you want, and you’re directed to the service almost instantly without going through the tedious sign-up process.

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6. Wired

WIRED, a leading technology magazine and online publication, is among the many sites that have done a lot to improve the user experience. When you browse through the site using a PC or desktop, you’ll find multiple columns and a handy sidebar, but switching to your mobile transforms into a single column for smooth navigation.

The company also pays keen attention to details, such as adjusting image ratios to fit perfectly on each device. And for even more simplicity on mobile, they’ve combined search and newsfeed filter icons into one button.

7. Slack

Slack is a business messaging app that’s been in the market for nearly a decade. The brand is known for its focus on simplicity, and they have successfully made it one of their competitive advantages. Slack has ensured that its site is easy to access and navigate, no matter the screen size of your device.

You’ll see customer logos in a neat three-column layout on a computer. But they have switched it to a single-column design on mobile phones for better viewing. And their call-to-action buttons? They span the whole column on tablets and mobiles, so you won’t accidentally click something else.

8. Shopify

Shopify has built a reputation as one of the leading e-commerce website builders thanks to its robust features, comprehensive support, and intuitive user interface. The Shopify website is one of the few that has managed to strike a delicate balance between site consistency across devices and enhanced user experience.

If you access the official Shopify website from a desktop or phone, you’ll find that most things remain unchanged except for the CTA buttons and a few menus. Additionally, Shopify is among the few sites that enjoy impressive web page speeds despite using graphics-intensive image carousels.

9. IBM

As one of the leading technology companies, IBM has set an excellent example for companies looking to create a fully-immersive site experience. The company has gone the extra mile to make its site not only responsive but also interactive, unique, and modern.

When you land on IBM’s homepage, you’ll be greeted with a responsive background, interactive videos, and a bold CTA. And while the IBM website is far from simple, it has incorporated complex design tools, from AI features to game-like functions, to create an immersive site experience.

10. Airbnb

Airbnb uses some of the best design strategies, such as easy navigation, a consistent color scheme, and text minimization, to ensure user-centricity and enhance the customer experience. The homepage, for instance, displays lightweight graphics consisting of images and short, engaging videos.

All the media elements on the homepage have been carefully chosen to engage and convert without compromising site performance. The images of stunning rentals, from all across the globe, for example, create a sense of urgency and encourage site visitors to book their dream Airbnb.

Bottom Line

In today’s interconnected world, online presence significantly influences marketing, customer engagement, brand identity, and business growth. However, the discussed 10 examples of exceptional website designs emphasize that merely having an online presence for the sake of it is insufficient.

To truly make an impact, you must rethink every aspect of your online presence, considering not only how your website looks but also how customers can access, browse, and interact with it. Moreover, it is essential to incorporate these considerations into your digital strategy and plan regular updates to your website and its features.

6 Web Design Principles to Increase Conversions

May 16, 2023/in Articles, Digital, Directors, Inbound Marketing, SEO, Website Design, Website Growth Driven Design /by Terry Becker

Putting thought into your web design is a must if you have any ambitions to grow your business. While the content that you host on your site and the strength of your SEO strategy will help you attract leads, your web design will play a big part in your ability to convert leads. Keeping that in mind, the following are six web design principles for conversions:

1. Use A Responsive Design

If you’re not using a responsive design, it means that although your website may load properly on desktops, it may not be displayed correctly on smaller screens, such as those on smartphones and tablets. If your website doesn’t load properly on a smartphone, it will require the user to not only scroll up and down but also left to right — and to zoom in and out. Few mobile users will have the patience to deal with a site like this, which will lead to a significant bounce rate. Use a responsive design so that you don’t lose your mobile leads.

2. Ensure That Your Pages Load Quickly

Even if your site does load properly, few visitors will have the patience for pages that load slowly. It should take no more than one to two seconds for your site to load. If it takes three or more seconds, you’re in trouble. Leads will get frustrated and will likely abandon your site. Test your page speeds to ensure that they load quickly.

3. Don’t Include Too Many Choices

Too many choices can make it difficult for visitors to figure out what they want or to find what they’re looking for. For example, a navigation menu is a great addition. It lets visitors find your blog, contact page, product page, etc. However, if you fill up that navigation menu with dozens upon dozens of links, it becomes overwhelming. Not only will it actually be more difficult for visitors to find what they’re looking for, but too many choices requires them to commit more of their time to make a decision. To capture leads, you need to help guide their decision making–offering too many choices does the opposite. Keep it simple.

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4. Use Negative Space

The visual design of a page should be kept relatively simple to prevent visitors from becoming overwhelmed. The last thing you want is a page covered in text, links, images, videos, and more. This makes it hard to find anything amidst the clutter. To avoid this, make sure that there’s plenty of negative space throughout each page. Negative space helps reduce clutter, gives your site a clean and elegant look, and makes your page easier to scan.

5. Choose Colors Carefully

The way you use color is psychologically important. Colors evoke different emotions and reactions from your visitors. For example, blue indicates trust, which is why it’s a color often used for CTA buttons. However, the colors you choose should reflect the content on your page as well as your brand in general. Just make sure you keep your colors consistent and that you don’t go overboard using colors. You should stick to a few main colors and their variations. Typically, it’s best if you choose one color along with a second that offers some contrast.

6. Use An F-Layout

Studies have shown that the attention of users is focused in an F-pattern. This means that when they first come to a page, they will be most focused on the top left and top right parts of your page. This slowly diminishes as they work their way down, which means the bottom right of a page gets the least amount of attention. Designing your pages so that they display information in an F-layout is therefore a good way to ensure that the information you want to convey is consumed by your visitors. For example, having the bulk of your content on the left side, positioning important links on the top right side, and then adding your CTA to the bottom left will create an effective F-layout.

The design of your website is essential to not only keeping your visitors engaged, but to keep them on your website for as long as possible. The longer you’re able to keep your visitors on your site, the better of a chance you have of converting them. These are six web design principles for conversions that you should consider implementing.