Ample website traffic is only the first step in growing your online business and increasing sales. Once you’ve built that traffic, you need to analyze what makes a visitor become a customer, and that task can be much harder than driving traffic.

The reality is, consumers have very high expectations for websites now, meaning you better tailor a fantastic experience that wows them and makes the next steps apparent. And for this to happen, it all comes down to one thing: website design.

Your website design can make or break the sale. And with online sales continuously growing year after year, it’s the elephant in the room you can’t ignore. According to Digital Commerce 360, 2019 U.S. online sales accounted for $601.75 billion of consumer spending. That’s a 14.9 percent increase over the prior year.

While focusing on website traffic is good, it won’t matter if that visitor came from a search engine, social media, or email marketing, they’ll need a clean and clear design once they get there that sets forth everything that’s important about your brand and makes it clear what they should do next.

The troubling reality is, if you choose to ignore your outdated online presence, all your traffic could be for naught because visitors will just leave and find solutions to their problems elsewhere. So here are the ways your website could be sending your visitors to your competitors instead of converting on your website.

Your website doesn’t guide the user to important content

Today’s consumers are rather spoiled from outstanding online experiences. Whether it’s a car dealership that puts information in the header graphic to go here for used cars and there for new cars or Apple who sets up easy-to-read charts to compare their technology, consumers expect a lot out of websites now.

So if your website isn’t offering that guidance to your visitors, the consumer might feel misunderstood and fatigued from navigating your site. And so they leave and you miss out on that sale.

Good website design makes it so that the next step is clear. Bold calls to action that tell the user specifically what to expect when they click on them, effective value positioning, and suggestions for similar products you sell at the bottom of every product page can all help tell the user what to do next.

Clutter and slow load times frustrate the user

A slow-loading website is a website that most people don’t have time for. You have seconds to showcase who you are, what you offer and why all of that matters. After all, there are plenty of websites out there that sell what you sell or offer the services you offer. So why would a user stay on your site and wait for your content to load?

Even if your website loads quickly, if it’s cluttered and busy, you’ll overwhelm your visitor. For example, some websites have two or three calls to action before the consumer even scrolls. That’s too many and can weigh down your online experience unnecessarily.

Well-designed and executed websites load quickly, offer important information on the first page and compel the user to take the first step toward purchasing with your business.

Discuss with your website designer file types that provide the best user experience and quick load times. Even if that’s the only aspect of your website you can fix right now, it will have a huge impact on your online business.

Calls to action are lacking or ineffective

The calls to action throughout your website might be the most important content you host. They tell users how to get more information about you, where to go to purchase a product, how to navigate the purchasing process and what number to call if something goes wrong.

Some pages might have primary and secondary calls to action, such as make a purchase and join our email list. So what happens if both calls to action are strong and demand the user’s attention? Simply put, they won’t function as primary and secondary calls to action. Instead, they might confuse and overwhelm your visitor compelling them to take neither action and leave your website.

A website designer is skilled at presenting your calls to action in a bold yet inviting manner. Sometimes, removing hyperlinks from your body text or images can strengthen your buttons and primary calls to action to nudge the visitor to the pages and information you really want them to view.

In your preliminary conversations with your website designer, make sure you discuss the customer journey and the information consumers need to make a purchasing decision. This information can help your designer ensure that this customer buying journey is visually presented within your website and optimized for conversion.

The website is outdated and lacks the “coolness factor”

This aspect of your website is a bit more abstract but still very important. Outdated websites can be a serious turn off for visitors. They might exude a certain image that you don’t care what the consumer thinks and that isn’t a great look.

And not only that but websites that lack a modern look and feel are less likely to be shared. To show your consumers that you care about them and about engaging with them, you need a modern design.

Build in encouragement for social sharing. That doesn’t mean cluttering every page with social media buttons or saying “share this” on every webpage. Be strategic and highlight the most shareable pages. These might be your images, blog posts or product pages. Use subtle calls to action on these pages to share with a friend.

Or even include the option to share the fact that they’ve purchased with your company. Luxury brands or services that are social events, such as concerts or 5Ks, can benefit from a purchase thank you page that offers the option to share that purchase with the consumer’s social network.

Purchasing or completing a form from mobile is too hard

Just about every website platform on the market today has a mobile-first design because mobile is essential. So why are we still talking about mobile websites? Easy, because many still lack the features and ease for mobile that encourages purchases and engagement.

Whether you like it or not, the Amazon app allows consumers to make purchases with the click of a button. No, we can’t all be Amazon. But when you think about how convenient they make it, you have to at least come close.

All forms and your online purchasing process must have a mobile-first design. That means enabling autofill, simplifying the information you request to only what’s essential and offering the option to log in so that consumers can complete the purchase process using the information you already know about them.

Mobile e-commerce sales continue to take up more and more of the online purchasing marketplace. And with that comes the importance that your website design be ready to meet this demand.

At Wieting Design, we know that websites are a crucial aspect of all business strategies, even those that sell in-person at a brick and mortar location. We’ve made it our mission to help local small businesses convert more visitors into prospects and more prospects into customers. Contact us to learn more about our services and what sets us apart.

Wieting Design offers modern websites that delight customers and turn website visitors into prospects. We have experience designing websites for a variety of industries and would love the opportunity to discuss your project with you. Contact us to learn more.

Wieting Design offers Graphic Design, Website Design, Search Engine Marketing, Video Production and Logo Design to our clients.

A website design project has a few distinct phases that you can help move through swiftly and smoothly if you’re well prepared. Here is a broad overview of some of the main phases you can expect with your website design.

1. Consultation and information collection
2. Website designer creates templates for main pages
3. You provide your feedback about likes and dislikes
4. The website designer tweaks your website design

Each phase will take a different amount of time to finalize. If you’re hoping to get your new website live quickly, there are several preparation steps you can take to speed up the process and ensure the best outcome.

The more preparation you do before initiating your project, the better your website designer can execute your brand and ensure your website highlights your products and services effectively.

Materials to prep to ensure a smooth website design project

While the goal is to begin your website project with as much preparation as possible, don’t feel like you have to have everything together before reaching out to a website designer. Your designer will let you know what they need to proceed with the project.

These are just some general guidelines that can help you get organized and prepare for your project.

Create a sitemap (outline of webpages you want to be included)

Your website designer will create templates based on the types of pages you’ll need and what content you expect will be on these pages. Create an outline of your website. This is also known as a sitemap and shows the hierarchy of parent pages and their child pages that sit underneath them.

Most often, a website includes a homepage, about information and services/product pages. Based on your business and your content, you might also include a blog, staff page with bios, or industry-specific information.

Once your website designer sees this information, they can make recommendations for menus that are user-friendly and guide the website visitor toward the content that’s most important on your website. A skilled website designer will consider the customer experience and the customer buying journey to encourage visitors to take the actions you want them to take to grow your business.

Write content for each webpage

Now that you know the webpages that will be on your website, you can begin building out that content. It’s helpful for your designer to see how much content goes on each page and the nature of that content. That way, your content can be in short, readable snippets to avoid overwhelming your website visitor and help keep them engaged as they scroll.

As you write your website content, try to break up your content into short paragraphs with headings, subheadings, and bulleted or numbered lists wherever possible. Long, bulky sections of text might discourage your website visitor from continuing down the page. Plus, today’s consumers expect to be able to skim content on websites and still get the most important messages.

If you’re unsure about how to engage audiences online or you feel uncomfortable writing the website copy, consult your website designer. Your designer might be able to recommend a copywriter with experience writing for SEO and customer engagement. Website copywriters are skilled in making complex concepts or products simple with just a few words to engage readers and guide them toward your calls to action.

Outline your brand in brand guidelines

In the initial phase of getting to know your business and your brand, your website designer will ask for more information about who you are and your visual identity. Brand guidelines can communicate who you are clearly.

Even if you don’t have full-fledged brand guidelines, information on your logo, color palette and tone can be extremely helpful in creating a website that speaks to your customers. Many website designers are also branding specialists. If you are still working to build out your brand guidelines, consider hiring a designer that also does logo design and branding services.

Wieting Design offers additional graphic design and logo services to help you develop your branding. We then build custom website designs that match the overall branding and look and feel we’ve created for your brand.

Organize your branding files in an online folder for your website designer

Use a cloud program, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, to organize your branding files and share them with your website designer. This folder should include the following:

• Logo
• Illustrations or photos
• Brand guidelines (if you have them)
• Graphics you want to include in your website design

Having all these materials in one place with easy access can help speed up the website design process and ensure your website matches your brand and meets your goals.

Find a skilled website designer near you

You’re all set now to execute an organized and smooth website design project. All you need is a skilled website designer to make the project come to life. Many small business owners have never hired a website designer before. But don’t worry, here’s how to ensure you’re hiring a good designer.

1. Take a look at the website designer’s online assets. Their website should be impressive and easy to navigate. Read up on any blogs or case studies on their website to learn a bit more about them and what makes them unique.
2. Read online reviews from previous customers to learn more about the website designer, their skills and how easy it is to work with them. Some skilled designers take too long on projects or are not enjoyable to collaborate with. Avoid hiring a designer who doesn’t meet your requirements for collaboration by reading online reviews.
3. Interview the website designer to learn more about them. Ask about previous projects that are like yours, such as other websites in your industry or other websites with functionality like what you’re looking for.

Wieting Design offers modern websites that delight customers and turn website visitors into prospects. We have experience designing websites for a variety of industries and would love the opportunity to discuss your project with you. Contact us to learn more.

Wieting Design offers Graphic Design, Website Design, Search Engine Marketing, Video Production and Logo Design to our clients.

Wieting Design has completed a new website assignment for Investigreat.com a Private Investigator out of New York.

Client Overview

Investigreat, LLC has over 30 years of experience in solving problems for many different people over the years.  They are about replacing uncertainty with certainty.  About making unknowns, known.  About having the know-how and resources to solve mysteries. Investigreat has worked in many different settings for a variety of people and businesses and this has made them one of the leading investigative firms in Jamaica, Queens, Brooklyn, New York, and Connecticut.

What We Provided

Wieting Design was enlisted to completely redesign, build an updated responsive and user friendly website that was within their budget. We provided a strategy and designed a custom WordPress website that provides information about the main services they provide.  In the future we will be adding video, more service pages and a array of specific tools for users. Wieting Design continues to work with Investigreat to ensure correct standards for their offline marketing communications and we look forward to watching Investigreat grow. Currently we have them listed at number one for certain search terms and will continue our SEO efforts for the company as they grow. VIEW WEBSITE

Website Development in CT by Wieting Design

Wieting Design is a full-service website design agency in Fairfield County, CT and serving all of Connecticut (CT), bringing together form and function to every website we build.

We are committed to sharing our experience and expertise in website development, website design, graphic design, social media marketing, search engine marketing (SEM & SEO), and video production to help build powerful tools that work for your Connecticut business. Whether your objective is to grow your reputation, create client loyalty, drive traffic to your website, or set up a marketing strategy, we will adapt our approach to get you the results you need with the services we provide. View our services here or Contact us to learn more.