First things first: If you don’t have a website for your business, it’s time to get one—especially if you plan to sell goods and services online. While social platforms offer pretty robust e-commerce options now, they’re just not enough if you want to scale to the next level, and then the level beyond that.
However, just having a website isn’t enough. You need to have a really good one that considers your buyers for everything from the layout and design to the content and internal linking structure. Why? Because 88% of online customers will not return to a website if they have a bad experience.
Now, knowing that the website user experience is important and can, in fact, help drive sales, what are some tips you should consider for your site? Let’s explore.
Function Over Fun
Everyone would love to have a website as engaging as Apple’s, with the incredible animations and sliding features, but…they’re a multi-trillion-dollar company. They can afford to build a site that is both fun and functional. When you examine your own website, however, make sure that the fun elements you want to include don’t slow the site down or interfere with any of the functionality of the content, CTAs, or buttons.
As your business scales, you may be able to introduce more innovative elements to your website. When you do, test each feature and be ready to “kill your darlings” if functionality is challenged. The last thing you want is for a previously loyal buyer to leave because they don’t enjoy the experience anymore.
Contrasting CTAs and Buttons
How many sales or leads do you think you could gather if users couldn’t distinguish the CTA or button on your site from the regular text and imagery? This includes any button you may have at the top of the page, such as “contact us.”
Use your contrasting brand color, or choose a new color that complements your brand design, to make sure buyers know where to click during their journey. Keep in mind, too, that several studies have shown that red buttons outperform other colors for clicks. If you don’t have a secondary color—or if red fits with your current brand design—you may consider using complementary red hues to make sure your offers stand out.
Make It Mobile
Nearly 91% of Americans under the age of fifty have made purchases on their smartphones. If you don’t have a mobile-friendly website, then you can bet you’re not reaching those buyers. Can you climb to the top with the remaining 9% still making purchases only on desktops?
Invest in a mobile responsive design, but don’t stop there. Test your responsive designs to make sure text is large enough and legible, buttons are clickable, and images are clear. Remember: It just takes one bad experience for a buyer to leave your site forever.
Reduce the Friction
Perhaps the most important of all the tips here is this: reduce any friction you can. This applies particularly to payment options. If you allow only credit card payments, make sure buyers have the opportunity to create an account and save their information. No one wants to go running for their wallet every time they want to buy something online.
The best option is to offer several payment portals, including PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and perhaps even Venmo. When buyers don’t have to dig out their credit card and stumble through entering the numbers, they’re less likely to think about how much they’re spending. And when they don’t think about how much they’re spending, they’re more likely to spend more.
As always, if we can help with any of these tips, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to help you delight your buyers.
JRS Mar/Com is a leading marketing and communications agency dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that drive business growth. With a commitment to excellence and a focus on emerging technologies, JRS Mar/Com empowers businesses to achieve their marketing goals in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
