Website design is a sizeable and important project that is only tasked to those who you trust. That is why we are used to dealing with top tier management and CEOs who come to us seeking their company website to be designed – it is just too important a task to outsource to an intern, for example.
Yet, it is important to bridge the gap between what the CEO of the company wants for their website and what the consumer who uses the website wants. This is where we show our clients to think like a consumer/customer when designing their website for the best possible outcome.
Consider Needs vs. Wants
To own a company or to work at top-level in a company is a big achievement which you should be proud of. Yet, you should not let this pride influence your website design too much and make the mistake of overtly glorifying your company via your website. This takes up valuable real estate and can sabotage the ability of your online presence to drive sales into your company. We touched on this here when we discussed how to create an ‘About Us’ page that sells. With this, it becomes important to establish the most basic needs versus wants when designing your website. You need a website that facilitates, buttresses and sustains sales for your company. While you may want a platform to elaborate on company achievements, milestones and understandably proud moments; your website is not the place to do this.
Eye on the Prize
The visual layout of your website is a crucial aspect in determining how people will interact with and use your website. Think of the user flow here in respect of your customer acquisition funnel. If you do not have an online shop, your goal may be to get people to the ‘Contact Us’ page. Studies have shown that the human eye is drawn to certain colours and shapes. Things that are more ‘visual’ such as a video/moving image or bold, flashing text etc. will obviously be eye-catching. Tools like these should be used to highlight where you want browsers to look and fix their attention to. A nice animated sprite or GIF may be pleasant to view, but if it is used simply to fill space on a page, you should really explore the idea that it may be an unnecessary distraction. Click count should also be considered here. Can your customers make their way to the checkout and/or ‘Contact Us’ page in a few simple clicks, or is it a longer and more complicated process that is off-putting?
Wear a Different Hat
Perhaps if you take off your CEO hat and act as a potential customer for your business, you will begin to see what your website is required to do and how it should do it. Of course, our expert website designers at Ireland Website Design can and will do this for you, but it is also a good idea for you to get a feel of what a potential customer will see and understand when they interact with your business website for the first time. If your business sells DVDs online, approach your website as if you are looking to buy a DVD. Is there a search function on the website? Are the DVDs grouped by genre and year of release etc.? Are prices clear and legible? Can I purchase straight away, or do I have to make an account and signup? Is it worth my while to use this website again?
While we at Ireland Website Design will assist you with all of the above steps during your website design and build, it can help to understand the process when you take a step back and put yourself in the position of a potential customer browsing your website. We can of course implement information and achievements about your company and business, but we do this in a way that will not detract from the main and core functions of your website. Talk to us today to begin a discussion on getting your website designed to see it perform in the modern online business environment as a robust and essential tool for your company.
