If you’re searching for a web design agency, you’ve probably noticed that there are many options out there. But how do you know which one will create the right website for your business? Having a website that not only looks great but also converts visitors into customers is key.
At Celestiq, we’re all about optimizing conversions, so we compiled 10 must-follow website best practices for creating a user experience that results in higher conversion rates. We’ll break down the why and the how of each practice so you can have peace of mind knowing your website is designed to convert visitors from the get-go.
So let’s dive in! We’ll walk you through 10 essential best practices to create a powerful customer journey and experience, as well as provide tips on how to apply them today.
Make User Experience a Priority for Your Website
You want your website to provide an enjoyable user experience that showcases your business, drives conversions and leads to customer loyalty. A great web design should render well on any device, be easy to navigate, not be cluttered and should load quickly – all of which can create a positive impression of your brand.
When it comes to optimizing your website for conversions, there are several best practices that you should pay close attention to:
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Make sure that you have a clean and organized layout that gives visitors the information they need at a glance
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Ensure that your website is built with responsive design so it can be used easily on multiple devices
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Use visual cues like arrows or contrasting colors to guide users along their journey
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Include plenty of text as well as audio-visual content
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Utilize call-to-actions throughout the website and make them highly visible
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Provide access to customer support or contact information in case visitors need help or have questions
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Incorporate features like chatbots to save visitors time and provide immediate answers
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Optimize page loading speed by compressing images, minifying code and caching files
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Provide multiple payment options so users can conveniently purchase products or services online
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Make sure security protocols are in place to protect visitors’ personal data
By following these guidelines, you can build a website that looks great, is easy-to-navigate and helps convert more of your visitors into customers.
Compelling Content: Educate and Engage Your Visitors
Creating compelling content is key to helping visitors understand what you do, why they need it and where to find it. Think about the messages you want your visitors to receive when they land on your website. Then, make sure the content resonates with their needs and speaks directly to them.
When writing your web copy, keep this in mind:
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Use storytelling techniques to capture attention and keep readers engaged.
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Focus on the benefits for your customers and use customer stories to illustrate that.
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Include social proof (such as testimonials) to validate product claims.
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Explain complex topics in simple language that’s easy for everyone to understand.
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Craft headlines and page titles that are intriguing, relevant, and will boost search engine visibility.
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Optimize content across all pages of your website, including blog posts and product pages.
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Include visuals such as graphics, videos or images that help bring your content alive and improve readability.
By following these tips, you can create content that will engage visitors and encourage them to take action on your website — leading them one step closer to becoming paying customers!
Write Persuasive Headlines and Content for Your Visitors
If you want to design a website that converts visitors, you have to be persuasive — and that starts with writing persuasive headlines and content. Your Copy should be tailored and written specifically for your target audience, so create content that speaks to their needs, interests, and questions.
Plus, make sure your headlines grab people’s attention. Some tips to writing effective headlines include:
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Keep them short — around 8 words or fewer
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Speak directly to your target audience
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Use action verbs like “discover” or “achieve”
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Include keywords related to the topic
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Make sure they match up with the text that follows
Here at Celestiq, we strive to create content that speaks directly to our customers’ needs in order to engage them and ultimately convert them into customers. We also optimize Copy for search engine visibility and placement—so when prospective customers search for web design services, they can easily find our website!
Clear Value Proposition: Show Them What’s in It for Them
Your website’s value proposition is a crucial element of converting visitors into customers. After all, what is it that your prospective customers should be taking away from your website? Why should they choose you over the competition?
You need to make sure that your value proposition is crystal clear, and here’s how:
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Clearly explain what’s in it for them. Focus on their needs and desires rather than your company’s accomplishments.
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Keep it concise and to the point, so that visitors can understand it without having to read through paragraphs of text.
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Make sure that it’s prominently displayed on the page, so that visitors can find it quickly and easily.
By having a strong and clear value proposition, you’re giving visitors an incentive to take action and convert into customers — so make sure you address their needs as clearly as possible. At Celestiq, we specialize in creating bespoke web experiences with integrated value propositions tailored specifically for each of our clients, ensuring that their visitors find exactly what they are looking for when they visit the website.
Focus on Website Conversion Optimization
Let’s face it, website visitors are all about conversions. They just want to know what you have to offer, why they should choose you over other competitors, and how easy it is for them to make a purchase. If your website isn’t optimized for conversions, then you’re missing out on lots of opportunities.
So how do you optimize a website for conversions?
Optimized Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
Call-to-actions are the most important element of any website. They drive visitors to take the desired action like buy your product or sign up for an online course. So it’s important that they are designed to stand out and be easy to use. Celestiq can create CTAs that are optimized for conversion rate optimization (CRO) by using clear, concise language and complimentary colors that grab your visitors attention.
Automated Email Campaigns
In addition to designing eye-catching CTAs, another way to optimize conversions is through automated email campaigns. You can create emails that target specific customers with relevant offers and messages tailored towards their preferences or interests. Automated email campaigns help turn leads into customers by providing personalized experiences that move them through the sales funnel.
By following these best practices for designing a website that converts visitors into customers, Celestiq can help bring your website from average to outstanding—resulting in more conversions and higher customer satisfaction rates.
Ensure Fast Page Load Speeds and Mobile-Friendly Website
Not only do you want to make sure that your website looks good, but it has to load quickly and be mobile-friendly, too. That’s because modern consumers expect a speedy, engaging website experience no matter what device they’re using—it’s a must for conversions.
If your website loads slowly or isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you’re driving away potential customers.
To ensure fast page load speeds:
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Utilize caching techniques and minification of HTML, CSS and JavaScript files whenever possible
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Optimize images for faster loading
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Provide content that is fully optimized for web browser compatibility
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Invest in quality web hosting services
To make sure the website is mobile-friendly:
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Make sure the design is responsive, meaning it automatically adjusts to different screen sizes and resolutions.
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Design the user interface with mobile users in mind. Choose elements that work well with touchscreens such as removing small click elements like drop down menus and replacing them with larger buttons that are easier to click on a mobile device.
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Make sure any videos used on the site are optimized for mobile screens.
If you want to optimize conversions from visitors who come to your website, making sure that your pages load quickly and look great no matter what device they’re using should be at the top of your list. Celestiq goes further than just designing beautiful websites—we create user experiences that convert visitors into customers!
Create a Clean and Minimal Design With High Visual Impact
Minimalism is in—especially when it comes to web design. People have short attention spans, so you want to present them with a layout that looks uncluttered and easy on the eye. Plus, designs with high visual impact can be more compelling and create an emotional connection with your visitors.
However, creating a clean and minimal design that still creates an emotional connection isn’t always easy. With Celestiq’s help, you can create a website that has the perfect balance between esthetics and performance. Our experienced designers understand how to optimize conversions by combining the two for maximum success.
Here are some of our top tips for creating a website that is both attractive and optimized for conversions:
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Focus on content hierarchy: Make sure your important content is easy to read and understand by highlighting it in strategic ways like using different fonts or font sizes.
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Keep it simple: Simplifying your layouts with few elements and whitespace will make it easier to navigate and find what they’re looking for quickly.
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Use relevant visuals: Incorporating visuals into your page layouts will draw people in and make them engage more with the page design itself—not just the content copy or text elements on the page itself.
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Control color choices: Choose colors thoughtfully, as your choice can influence how visitors perceive your brand, products, or services in an instant.
Optimized User Experience: Make It Easy to Take Action
It’s no wonder that optimized user experience is second to SEO when it comes to website design. Building a website that’s easy to use means that users can find what they need and do what they came to do without any extra effort.
If your website makes it difficult for visitors to take action, you’re going to lose them, and your conversions are going to suffer. Here are some tips from Celestiq on how you can make sure your users get the most out of their experience:
Easy navigation
Make sure it’s easy for visitors to find the information they need, with clearly arranged content, easy-to-understand wording, and a logical hierarchy. If you want people to take action, make sure it’s obvious exactly how and where they should do it.
Responsive design
Make sure that your website looks great on every device — from desktops and laptops, tablets and mobile phones. After all, more than half of web traffic comes from mobile devices, so having a responsive design is essential if you want your website visitors to convert into customers.
High functioning forms
Having forms on your website? Make them as simple as possible — don’t require too much information at once and make sure there’s no lag time when a user submits the form; the quicker their information goes through, the more likely a customer will buy from you (and come back again).
Include Social Proof and Testimonials From Your Happy Clients
Social proof is a powerful tool that can help you convert website visitors into customers. People tend to trust reviews and ratings from the experiences of other customers. That’s why testimonials, reviews and even case studies come in handy when you need people to take action on your website.
If your current customers are happy with your services, it’s a great idea to include their feedback and success stories on your website. This can be done through features like private messaging, social media posts, and even blog post reviews. You can also add some of these reviews to the homepage itself or create a separate page for them.
Adding social proof also helps build trust with potential customers who still don’t know you well enough to decide whether they want to work with you. Having testimonials from reputable sources will make it easier for people to trust you and take action towards conversion.
At Celestiq, we make sure that our clients have no trouble working with us by providing real-life testimonials from our happy clients who have previously worked with us on successful projects in the past. Check out our case studies page for an insight into how we optimize websites for conversions!
Strong Visuals: Images Speak Louder Than Words
You know the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words”? Well, it’s true on your website, too. It’s easier for visitors to quickly scan an image than read through pages of copy. And it’s no secret that humans are drawn to visuals — they create more impactful content.
So, what kind of visuals should you be using on your website? Celestiq recommends using images that:
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Represent the products or services you offer
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Showcase customer testimonials or reviews
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Demonstrate how exactly you can solve the customer’s problem
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Show what makes your brand unique
Using professional photography or custom illustrations will also help elevate the look and feel of your website, but don’t stop there; use videos and audio snippets to give visitors an even richer experience. And be sure to optimize those images for faster loading — if you want to engage people, make sure your pages load quickly! Your visuals will be meaningless if the page loads slowly or feels cluttered and overwhelming with too many elements in one place.
Call-to-Action Buttons: Make Them Noticeable and Clickable
The way you design and position your call-to-action buttons on a page can make or break conversions. You want them to be noticeable when people land on the page, in a prominent position so visitors don’t have to hunt for it. Make sure the button stands out from other elements in terms of color, size and font.
Here are some tips for making sure your CTA stands out:
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Place call-to-action buttons above the fold, so that visitors see them without having to scroll down the page
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Think about colors: Go for colors that make your CTA stand out on the page, without being too overpowering
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Use contrasting colors: A light background with a dark color font is easy to read
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Utilize whitespace: Give your CTA room to breathe within its environment of the site; use empty space around it to make it more visible
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Give users multiple options: Space out your CTAs throughout the navigation of the website, so users can access them from different directions
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Consider size and shape: Make sure the font is large enough and that the shape is unique enough for people to identify as a button
Conclusion
It’s all too easy to focus on the features, esthetics and bells and whistles of your website, instead of optimizing it for conversions. But without a website that’s built to bring in more customers and maximize return on investment, you’ll struggle to reach your goals.
By using the tips and best practices outlined in this article, you can create a website that’s designed with conversions in mind and will lead to more engagement, better customer retention and higher conversion rates. Whether you’re starting from scratch or making improvements to an existing website, Celestiq can help you create a website that not only looks great, but is designed to convert. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you optimize conversions on your website.