Website Design Critical Elements
1. COLOR. Studies have shown that certain colors are more likely to produce Trust and Buyer Confidence.
2. CONTENT. Once viewers stick round long enough to begin reading content – it had better be concise and to the point.
3. PHOTOS and GRAPHICS. Same as for Color. Dark, old-fashioned and not related to your product photos/graphics will not hold info surfers to your site.
4. AUTHORITY. Rightly or wrongly, website viewers equate a clean, modern and bright website with “They Know What They’re Doing”.
5. NAVIGATION. If users cannot find what they want on your site within 10-20 seconds – they are gone and they don’t come back.
Website Makeover Tips
1. KNOW What you Really Want in a Makeover (may require consultation)
2. TRUST Your Designer
3. Be Willing To Accept Advice
4. Most Important: Be Willing To Make Changes
Website Makeovers are exciting! And Scary. Whether it’s a personal makeover, house/home update, wardrobe rescue or website design – makeovers are a part of doing business in the 21st century.
Like it or not – we are a visual culture. Daily everyone is bombarded with 1000’s of images. And although most are not design experts in any field – we know what we see. And, we know what we like.
Even more interesting: As a result of the constant media image bombardment, on some level we all ‘know’ what looks new, bright and modern. And what looks old, dark and old-fashioned.
What Drives a Website Makeover Decision
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Want To Be Found Easier/More Often in Searches
• Need to Convert Searches to Sales
All Business is now Search Engine oriented. Studies done in 2010 show that 87% of US adults use Search Engines to find information. In mid-2011, the numbers of adults using Search to find info – and YOUR business – is probably even higher.
A website makeover will include SEO (Search Engine Optimization). If the vast majority of consumers are using Search Engines to find businesses – and your business does not have internet presence – you might as well close up shop.
Not being found in Searches is the 21st equivalent of a business not having a phone line or phonebook listing and ad in the 1980’s. If you need help with SEO, please Contact My Pandamonium Marketing-SEO asap.
So now you’ve got SEO. What’s next? The Design of the website itself.
‘I Want Change As Long As Nothing is Too Different!’
This is where Trusting Your Web Designer plays a large part. Before choosing a web designer for your makeover, ideally, there was a vetting process.
You got referrals, looked at the designers’ work and are satisfied the designer can deliver the Makeover Main Objectives: Be Found and Convert Searches to Sales.
And now, here’s the most difficult part of any makeover: You have to Listen to your web designer.
Almost inevitably, the design suggested will be radically different than the current under-performing website. If the current site and associated advertising were doing the job needed – would you really be looking at a makeover in the first place?
Gone in 5 Seconds: 2011 Critical Elements in a Website Build
You have 5 seconds for your website to make an Impression on potential clients/customers. If they don’t like what they see – they are gone and they don’t come back.
You do it yourself! When Searching – finding a website that has acceptable or even great info but has a dark and old-fashioned presentation – you surf on. Why? The business may have superior knowledge and use cutting edge technology, but their website is extremely dated.
End Result: User Loss of Confidence and potential customer surfs on. Which is a shame: they may end up doing business with a quack or crackpot that has a great website and minimal knowledge/training.
1. COLOR. Studies have shown that certain colors are more likely to produce Trust and Buyer Confidence.
2. CONTENT. Once viewers stick round long enough to begin reading content – it had better be concise and to the point.
3. PHOTOS and GRAPHICS. Same as for Color. Dark, old-fashioned and not related to your product photos/graphics will not hold info surfers to your site.
4. AUTHORITY. Rightly or wrongly, website viewers equate a clean, modern and bright website with “They Know What They’re Doing”.
5. NAVIGATION. If users cannot find what they want on your site within 10-20 seconds – they are gone and they don’t come back.
Are you Willing to Make Changes?
• Your current website colors are dark purple and black – and your web designer tactfully suggests that a lighter color palette will keep people on your website longer and encourage buying.
• Navigation does not ‘flow’ – users have difficulty finding what they need.
• Your current website photos appear to be unrelated to your main product.
• Website photos are not high resolution and are ‘dark’ (without proper lighting).
• Photos have not been professionally produced (or at least, created by a talented amateur photographer that knows about lighting, composition, etc).
• Text content on current website is without SEO or marketing value.
Major Objections to Change
• My Aunt Mary wrote the text content for the site. It took forever and she is really proud of her work.
• My cousin Larry designed our current website. It’s not great – but it’s a website!
• We spent a fortune to acquire our current website and I really like the colors/graphics.
• Do we have to re-do everything? I know that nothing is working marketing-wise or for SEO on the site, but I’m really used to it.
• We know that Aunt Mary knows nothing about SEO, marketing copywriting or internet presence – but we insist that she be allowed to write all the content for the new website.
• Go ahead and design the new site – but we insist that you use all the colors, graphics and photos from the old site.
Bottom Line
Change IS Scary. But if you want a dynamic, high-performing, SEO and Marketing powerhouse website – then you have to be willing to Trust Your Chosen Web Designer. And, you have to be willing to Make Changes.
If your current website is under-performing and not producing the results you want and need – what have you got to lose?
