Five Techwe are
Jun 17, 2014

What Not To Have On Your Website

Attracting a customer is hard enough. Grabbing their interest and retaining them is even more difficult. It’s important to design your website so that user frustration is kept to a minimum, thereby maximizing customer retention. KISSmetrics.com provides some examples of what not to do when designing your website.

screenshotWebDesign

Bad Navigation

Nothing is more frustrating for a visitor than a website that’s hard to navigate. Complex or inconsistent navigation can cause users to feel helpless, confused, or angry — not the emotions you want potential customers to be feeling.

Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive, and easy to understand. Try grouping navigation elements in a central area. For larger websites, try adding a site map.

Too Many Ads

Suffocating your visitor with ads that pop, flash, and fill the entire browser will only continue to frustrate your visitors. Although running ads on your website is a legitimate way to make money, however, in order to maximize your retention rate (and lower your bounce rate) be tasteful and discrete in your approach to displaying your ads.

Bad Content Structure

Bad content structure can destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make your content (especially your contact info) easy to find. It’s estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can’t find what they’re looking for.

Don’t make visitors fish around for the content they’re looking for. Group similar content in a clear, concise manner. Consider using bold headings in addition to highlighting certain keywords that visitors may be searching for.

The Registration Requirement

It’s often the case that forcing visitors to register before they can view content is much like a physical barrier. This barrier may ultimately cause the visitor to go elsewhere for what they’re looking for. Avoid putting barriers between you and your visitors. If a visitor must register to interact with your site, try giving them a glimpse of what they’re signing up for. Offer a preview of a demo.

Boring Content, Boring Design

A dull website that has no purpose or interactivity will never create a memorable experience for a visitor. Data suggests that 40% of visitors don’t return to a website after having a negative experience. Minimalistic websites can be very effective and beautiful if done correctly. Always be sure your site has utility and that your visitors have no issues finding what they need. Consider ways to enhance your interactivity with your visitors. Examples of good engagement could be blogs, forums, and special features that are updated on a regular basis.

Lack of Frequency

You may have found the right balance of interactivity, design and content construction, but you also need to keep your site fresh with new content. Not only will this boost the interest levels in your site, but it will also contribute to higher rankings in the search engines. Try adding a blog to your website. Blogging is an easy way to keep your content fresh and update visitors with news and events.

If your business is looking for a way to boost your website, let’s chat and we’ll help with all your website design needs.

Read the full article from KISSmetrics.com.

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