It’s easy to persuade someone to do something if you’re speaking to them in person. But if you’re doing it online, then it can be a challenge. This is especially the case if you are a Singapore business owner who wants to persuade your visitors to make a purchase.
However, what many business owners may not realise is that sometimes it’s less about what you say and more about how it’s presented. More specifically, your website design can help your visitors to determine whether or not they should buy. And this makes web design very important.
You need to use your design as a conversion tool. Luckily, there are a few tips that can make this process easier. Let’s take a moment to discuss these principles.
1. Clarity
When someone first visits your website, can they immediately identify what your business is about? More specifically, do they understand what product or service you offer? In the best case scenario, a user should visit your website and be able to instantly recognise what you do. Perhaps there are a few phrases that stand out such as, “improve your sales technique today” or “hire the best cleaning company in Singapore.” They may even notice certain images that contain your product.
How to do it:
According to research, a vast majority of users feel that the most important design factor is being able to find what they are searching for. So, take the time to look at your site from the perspective of a first time visitor who has no knowledge about your company. Does your website use ambiguous terms or is straight and to the point. If a website element does not offer clarity, then get rid of it.
2. Visuals
While it’s important to explain things in text, one of the quickest ways to get your visitors to understand something is with the use of visuals. You could always tell people what you do and how they will benefit from it, but you could also let images do the talking for you.
An awesome benefit of visuals is that they help to focus your visitors’ attention. Images also force you to be more thoughtful about the words you use. It’s easy to get lost in a sea of text, so make sure that you add high quality images to your website. It’s a great way to reinforce your message.
3. Prioritise your design elements
Sure, images are an important part of reinforcing your message, however, that does not mean that you don’t need to prioritise them. This is especially the case if you have several images. You must create a hierarchy.
How to do it:
When creating a hierarchy, the size of the image is an important factor. The larger an image is, the more important it will be. This means that if you are Singapore business owner who runs an e-commerce site, then your best selling products would be the largest on the screen.
Another important factor is the position of your image. If you are running a special promotion and want this to be the first thing people see, then don’t use small letters in your sidebar. Don’t position in the footer of your website. It should be bold and large–preferably in the middle of the page. This tells the audience that they should pay attention to this element.
The visitor’s eyes will move from one element to the next, based on their size and where they are located. Colour can also help to get their attention. A huge part of persuading your audience is making sure that the most important element is seen first.
4. Use Simple Language
One of the biggest keys to persuading your visitors is to use the most simple language possible. While images can be persuasive, you still need text in order to give them context. And everyone who reads the text needs to understand what you’re saying to them. So speak simply.
How to do it:
Use short words and phrases. Take advantage of bullet points as they make your content much easier for people to scan and help to address your most important points. Avoid using industry terminology. If a young child can’t understand what your copy is about, then it is likely to complicated.
5. Be Mindful of Your Colours
We have briefly addressed the fact that like images, colour can really catch your visitors’ attention. But did you know that your colour scheme can have a significant psychological effect on your visitors? Most people associate certain things with certain colours. For instance, green is associated with action. This is why many business owners use this colour for their call to action, or CTA, button.
How to do it:
The key to knowing which colour is the most effective for your website is to know your audience. Are they mostly men or are they women? What country are they from? More importantly, which emotion would you like them to experience when they visit your site? Answering these questions will help you come up with a colour scheme that makes people want to buy.
6. Offer a Limited Amount of Choices
If you only sell a couple of products, then you can simply feature them on your homepage. However, if you run an e-commerce website that sells hundreds or even thousands of products, you need to narrow things down a bit. Offering too many products on one page can make your website look cluttered. But most importantly, it can overwhelm your visitors with choices. And it’s very likely they won’t make a choice at al. So the key is to be selective about which products your feature.
How to do it:
Instead of listing all of your projects on the homepage, choose those with the highest conversion rates and greatest profit margins. You should even consider getting rid of a few products from your line so that your visitors’ choices easier. Not only does this keep them from being overwhelmed but it also lessens the chance of experiencing buyer’s remorse–they’ll be less likely to wonder if they made the right decision.
7. Use one CTA
Another way in which business owners tend to overwhelm their visitors is by adding too many CTA buttons. They assume that the more buttons they have on their site, the more likely people are to make a purchase. Unfortunately, all this does is confuse them. If you want to persuade your visitors to make a purchase then you should allow them to focus on one clear CTA.
8. Use Patterns
Another great way to persuade your visitors is to stick with patterns. People prefer them. It makes your website more predictable. This means if you have the text on one of side the page and an image on the other, make sure you continue this pattern throughout the entire site. This may seem simple, but it’s one of the easiest ways to keep people focused and convince them to convert.
Conclusion
Web Design
Persuading people online is vastly different than persuading them in person. That’s why a large portion of your digital marketing strategy should be your focusing more heavily on your visual image. More specifically, you’re going to have to be mindful of your Web Design Principles. And it all centers around clarity. The more clear and to the point you are, the better people will understand your message. And this typically leads to an increase in conversions.
