You can spend a fortune getting high Google ranking with various SEO techniques, but visitors only spend a few seconds deciding whether they want to view your website. How do you get them to do what you want?

This is where good design comes in.
20 things to think about.

1. Is the heading too small… or too big?
2. Is it obvious what your product or service does?
3. Does it appeal visually to your target market?
4. Does it reinforce your brand?
5. Do you have compelling benefits over your competitors?
6. Is the website easy to navigate?
7. Is there anything that will confuse the reader?
8. Is the contact/buying procedure overly confusing or complex?
9. Is the site engaging or similar to everyone else’s?
10. Is the content believable and easily digestible by your target reader?
11. Is your copy keyword rich but succinct?
12. Do graphics enhance or distract the primary message?
13. Are you trying to get your visitor to do too many things?
14. Are your key benefits obvious?
15. Does the site reflect honesty and trustworthiness?
16. Are there contact details that are directed at a human being who answers speedily and is up to speed on the product/service?
17. Does your website offer any guarantee if there’s a problem?
18. Does your website show any testimonials by important people in the field?
19. Is your website loaded with links that take the visitor AWAY from your site? Facebook pages and poor quality YouTube videos are very common.
20. Is the website up-to-date?

Just a few things to think about to increase your conversion rates.

But who is more important? The end user is. They probably don’t give a fig about your business and how it’s organised. All they want to know is what’s in it for them. Why are they on your site? What are they looking for? And can they find it easily? You’ve also got to get them beyond the homepage, so being number one on Google isn’t going to solve that problem.

So now we stop thinking about what we want on the site but rather put ourselves in the user’s shoes and figure out what they want. They are probably web savvy and know how to source the information they want. In fact there’s a good chance that they know as much, or even more, about your product than your sales people. A good idea is to actually think of your ideal clients, maybe two or three, even give them names, and then think about it from their point of view. Bigger organisations can use market research and focus groups to find out this sort of information. The important thing is to think from outside in, instead of the traditional inside out.

When you discover what your users want then you plan how to give it to them. This part of development is referred to as Information Architecture ‚ a way of establishing the best way for your user to interact with the site. Usability is of prime concern too. I recently read a good book on usability Called ‘Don’t Make Me Think’ by Steve Krug. I reckon this phrase sums up the purpose of good usability.

Improving user experience isn’t of course the only consideration. Websites can have a vast array of different goals and visitor groups. The user needs to be persuaded to move from one page to another. The user wants to do something, maybe learn something, maybe be entertained, maybe hear a story. Getting the user to return to your site may also be a necessity, whether by fresh content or effective eMarketing.

The website also has to look good of course. As Don Norman said ‘Aesthetics matter. Attractive things work better.’