It’s a new year – time for a fresh new start. For many people, that means it is finally time to give that tired, old, difficult-to-update website a facelift. But where do you start?
Updates from just € 25.00 once off!
The first step is to analyze your conversion goals.(Use Google Analytics for this)
Often they’re not as good as they could be, simply because the site itself is too cumbersome or confusing for visitors to use. With a conversion-focused redesign in mind, here’s what to look at:
Flat User Interface
Flat design has been popularized by Windows 8 and its touch-screen capabilities and is praised by designers for its ability to create an intuitive, easy-to-navigate experience for users. Large, crystal-clear “hero shots” of your product or service, coupled with an attention-getting, direct headline and easy to spot call-to-action buttons make taking action on a page straightforward and simple.
If you’re looking for a little inspiration to get started, there are plenty of free and low-cost interface kits for designers that come in a variety of colors and styles.
Responsive Design
It has been shouted from the rooftops since 2012 –responsive design is the way to go. Not only do Google and your mobile device users love it, but it will save you money on development costs in the long run, since developers only have to create one framework for multiple devices. That makes your design virtually future-proof as handheld tablets and smartphones become increasingly intertwined in our daily lives.
Social Validation and Social Media Marketing
2016 is moving beyond pure “social proof” and into “social validation”. What’s the difference? Social proof is assuming the actions of the group in order to mimic what’s believed as the “correct behavior”. Social validation takes this a step further and gives users a visual “guidepost” – that if 1,000 people shared this article, it must be good.
These days, social sharing has gone beyond “like our post”. People know what likes are, and how to give them – now, the real measure of an article’s worth is in the numbers.
There are plenty of plugins available to help you add this functionality – such as AddThis and ShareThis. A simple social sharing plugin is also available for WordPress.
New Year-New Website
- Keep layouts simple – Clean, crisp OPTIMIZED pictures and vivid call-to-action buttons with a headline that states exactly what you’re offering. Flat designs work exceptionally well together with responsive frameworks – a win-win for designers and marketers.
- Content should tell a story – Lead visitors along as they scroll to share the benefits of your product or service in a way that is meaningful to them. Show them what kind of results they can expect and how it works. There are several parallax themes and templates you can use as a springboard for your own ideas.
- Leverage trends intelligently – Only use new features like parallax scrolling where and when it makes sense when paired with your overall conversion goals. Resist the urge to embrace a trend purely for the shiny-objectness of it.
- Maximize social validation – Encourage users to like, tweet and become engaged with your content by making it one-click simple to share. The more shares you get, the more likely people will continue to share it based on simple numbers alone.
- Create efficient, simple designs – In 2016 and beyond, you can expect designs to maximize the use of space, typography and mobile optimization right out of the box. Simple landing pages designed to minimize scrolling and user-friendly frameworks will continue to amaze us with their potential.