As a new business owner, one thing I struggled with when I first launched K Brands was having an effective website. All of our website designs were beautiful and packed with information however they weren't effective as far as keeping our traffic engaged or converting sales for our services.
It has been three years since the launch of our first website, and today in this blog I am laying it all on the line on the steps that I took to increase the effectiveness of our website and attract high-end clients, so you can easily achieve an effective website design in just three easy steps.
Element One: Aesthetic Direction
Whatever you do in your website development, this step is not to be skipped which is why I'm leading with it. Your aesthetic direction should be based around your target audience. If you are unsure who your audience is or if you haven't niched down yet, focus on the following:
What lifestyle are they currently living compared to how they desire to live?
How do they respond to certain colors or images -- what's attractive to them?
Who are they shopping with?
What lifestyle are they currently living?
As you're developing your website aesthetic, it's vitaI that you are selling a lifestyle your viewer desires to achieve as their reality. If you serve people that are currently financially stable and you're offering services that are going to help them achieve organization in their life for example, it's important that the lifestyle your website presents is free of clutter and functional — this is what your overall audience and potential lead is desiring for themselves so this is what needs to be presented.
What's attractive to them?
Colors are the most powerful tools any non-designer or designer can have in their toolbox, especially when it comes to website. Using certain colors allows different emotions to be felt from your audience when they're viewing your website; and depending on the emotion they're feeling it will either cause them to take action or leave your website.
Outside of colors, typography, or fonts are the second most important element of developing your aesthetic. Colors create emotional connection but when paired with effective fonts it creates a beautiful aesthetic that your audience will want to explore further or exit your website immediately.
When it comes to selecting fonts for your website, try to stick with 1-2 fonts, or 3 at most.
Photography the final piece to the aesthetic puzzle, however it is the most skipped over step which is disheartening because it is extremely important for any good website design. Whether you're using stock images or branded images, the focal point for your imagery should be based on who you are and what's attractive to your audience.
When it comes to your aesthetic direction, my best practice for staying on "brand" is by using a keyword to base your aesthetic around. If your audience is attracted to feminine and modern aesthetics then use either "feminine" or "modern" as the focal point for your aesthetic beginning with your color palette, to your fonts, and your photography.
Who are they shopping with?
The answer to this question is a mix between who you've identified as your competitors or brands that are parallel to yours based on your expertise. It's important to note who your audience is shopping with and reviewing their website(s) to understand what they're doing well (attracting) and where there are gaps (repelling). Having this intimate understanding of your competitors will allow you to take tidbits from what they're doing well and incorporate it into your website (not copy, but incorporate) and use their gaps as an opportunity to make your website stand out.
Element Two: Relevant Call to Actions
I know a guru somewhere is going to react to me writing this but let's be very honest here: not every website needs a million call to actions however every website needs to have between 2-3 relevant call to actions.
When I am building a website for a client, I focus on calls to action that feel natural for their audience. Using the example referenced above about a high-end client seeking to declutter their space or life I would focus on call to actions that read similar to: "declutter your space/life", "get organized", or "free your space" to name a few. These call to actions are organic and speak to the solution they're seeking from your brand.
As you can see, you don't need to have multiple call to actions throughout your website, but 2-3 allow consistency and relevance for your audience. When you stray from using 2-3 call to actions, your audience can become confused or annoyed from the inconsistency.
Element Three: Hyperlinks
How many sales or leads have you missed because of your hyperlinks not being appropriately linked? In my experience as a website designer, I've had multiple clients that either didn't have their photos, text, or buttons linked or they were pointed to a page/product that wasn't relevant to where they needed their audience to go.
When your links are broken or misdirected it can disrupt your SEO performance and overall website conversions.
To some website owners, having a website that is launched and beautiful is what is most important to them. But today, I am here to tell you that this mindset isn't a healthy one. Your website is only as good as its set up. I'm sure your website has photos and text and I am also sure that at least one of your photos isn't linked or you may have a broken link somewhere.
When it comes to photos on your website, they don't necessarily need to be linked to anything but setting the link to "nothing happens" for WIX users or deselecting the link function for ShowIt users, this will ensure you don't accrue any phantom/ghost links from your images. Check your buttons to ensure they're linked to the proper web pages or products that your call to action is asking your audience to engage in.
If your links are broken or misdirected it can disrupt your SEO performance on multiple social media channels. Not only does broken or misdirected links hurt your SEO, but it also prevents you from gaining a sale or lead due to faulty or messy checkout processes. Performing a quick audit over your site today will allow you to address the elements that aren't linked or set up redirects for links that are pointing to pages that are no longer published.
Now that you know the three elements of an effective website design, it's time you audit your website. As you're auditing your website remember to establish a clear aesthetic direction, relevant call to actions, and check that all hyperlinks are correctly linked.
If you have any questions on any of the three website elements I've outlined today, send me a message at hello@kbrandsltd.com.
Until our next blog post!
