Getting Started
Now that we have a good understanding of what conversion-based website design is and we've identified our target audience, let's get down to the nuts-and-bolts and how to best accomplish our goals. If you aren't sure what conversion-based design is and stumbled across this blog post by accident, you might want to check this out first: Introduction to Conversion Based Website Design
Website Redesign: Before and After
For this example, we'll look at the “Before and After” of a recent client of ours and what it means for conversion; for them, and for you by following these simple guidelines. Let's take a look at our starting point and get a good feel for the client's current state of affairs, so to speak.
Tom's Bee Hives: Before
Meet Tom. Tom builds beehives. Tom is one of the best custom beehive builders in the country and a nice guy to boot. The problem is, you would never know that from visiting his website (well, you may figure out he's a nice guy) and you would have no idea of the amazing quality of his handcrafted beehives. Tom deserves better. At first glance, there is good room for improvement. Let's start by identifying exactly what these areas are.
Ready. Aim. Market.
Since we've identified who Tom's target audience is, we know that his potential customers need to understand a few things about Tom and his product as fast as possible:
- Tom builds custom beehives made to order.
- All of Tom's beehives are made from 100% natural pine.
- Tom is an old-world craftsman.
- Tom loves talking to all of his customers.
- Customers can order beehive parts separately and in different sizes.
Smart Website Adjustments
One of the immediate areas for improvement is the number of ways to contact Tom and order one of his fabulous beehives. On Tom's homepage, it is difficult to find a way to contact him. A user must click “Contact” to display the information that they need: in this case, Tom's phone number. Website visitors want what they want and they want it now. The faster we give it to them, the happier they are and the more our business thrives. Once you have identified what your visitors want, clear a path to that info so they get it as fast and clearly as possible. So an easy-to-read, hard to miss phone number is great for business. This may seem common sense but it can be easy for some business owners to get so wrapped up in creating a gorgeous website, they forget the goal. Good design is when art meets functionality. Cliché, I know.
Another vital adjustment to make for Tom is to clarify his messaging by blatantly telling visitors exactly what he does and other important information.
Little changes. Big Conversion.
Small adjustments like this make a tremendous difference in the world of web marketing. A great way to find out just how conversion-friendly your website is would be to ask a neighbor, nephew or cousin to visit your site pretending to be a customer., You will preferably want someone that will give their honest opinion as an unbiased “customer”. Once they agree, take note as to how they navigate the site and process the information. Where did their eyes go first? What was the very first thing they clicked? Your friend will most likely offer their opinion on design as well, and that's invaluable, but what we're looking for here is functionality. After you have a game plan together, it will be easy to stay on track while making the adjustments.
Tom's Bee Hives: After
The Difference
The contrast between a well thought out website and poor planning can be staggering, both visually and economically. Even if you are not a pro designer, focus on getting the basics right and your visitors will thank you.
Hope you found this useful. Happy marketing, folks, and we'll see you next post.
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