How to turn website viewers into customers.
The number one reason why most businesses have a website is to generate a profit. However, this goal is often lost in its own web of aesthetics and emotion. Why do you have a website? Is it to make more money then you spend?
No matter what other objectives you may have in being a publisher of a website, try not to lose sight of your goal.
Side Effects
While trying to achieve the goal of greater profitability, many organizations are also able to:
- increase the level of communication with customers
- raise visibility with publicity (and other free marketing) as well as, improve overall efficiency.
These positive side-effects should be part of a business synergy. Does your overall internet plan incorporate these concepts?
Thousands of people may be visiting your site every day, but if you don't convince them that they should be using your product, subscribing to your service, or registering in some way, then your web app's homepage is simply not doing its job.
Good Web Design
Successful web apps use similar formats when it comes to user interaction on their homepage. For instance, most feature an explanatory strapline that tells you what the service does, many show you screenshots of their service, and they all entice you to sign up or register with a prominently placed button. But is it really that simple?
If you design a site with this simple checklist of 'must-haves' in hand, is the resulting site guaranteed to turn your visitors into users? What are the elements of a home page that make it really effective at transforming visitors into users? And how does the design itself contribute to this?
Most designers agree that not only do you have to have brilliant navigation, impeccably-crafted copy and a great sales message, but you also have to have that something extra in the design that will speak volumes to your potential users.
It's about trust
To turn visitors into users, your homepage needs to make them feel the way they will feel when they use your service - happy, satisfied, excited. And this kind of trust begins with how the information is presented on your site. Take two financial sevices companies Mint and Egg.
Both sites make it easy to sign up with clear and obvious call to action buttons. Mint is upfront about the cost and the orange splash draws the eye directly to it.