Today’s website user is a lot more selective with what they want – when they visit a website, they expect it to not just load quickly, but also to give them the information they need in just a few clicks. Users don’t want to spend too much time looking for something and the user-friendliness of your website will count. But your website’s appeal is another aspect that you need to work on, and if you find that your site doesn’t retain the visitors that land on your pages, then it may be time to do something about your website’s appeal. Websites constantly change and evolve, and your site may have already become outdated as well. So how can you make your website more appealing to visitors? Here are the top three things you can do.
- Choose your website images with care
It’s been said before, but it needs to be emphasised today: choose your website images with care. Website users are getting a lot smarter, and they are quicker to judge a company site before they even decide to continue browsing. When a user first arrives on your site, it’s easy for them to spot those generic images they’ve already seen on other sites. We’re talking about stock photography, of course, and if you are still using it, it can reduce trust in your brand and your company risks becoming labelled as generic.
Even if you choose the highest quality stock photographs, it still doesn’t do the same job as an actual photo of your team or office, for instance. Stock photos don’t establish that connection you need with your visitors because they simply cannot relate to it. As the web development professionals from Expre suggest, it’s better to display photos of your team, products, and other personal images, and place them strategically throughout your site so they can support your content. These images will also allow visitors to get a break from your site’s text, but make sure they complement the text and are relevant as well.
- Be mindful of headings
The content and headings of your site will also make an impact, so they should be based on what your prospective customers are seeking. Include keywords on your titles so you can have a more targeted message and attract the right market. Search engines will also place more weight on headings more than other site content, and this is yet another reason to choose the proper headings and make them stand out. More than this, however, your headings serve to guide your visitors through your site and make it easy for them to scan the content and find what they need.
- Make it consistent
Being consistent is key, and this means everything complements everything else. Consistency encompasses everything from the size of your headings to your choices in font, colouring, spacing, styles of illustration, image choices, and other design elements. Everything should follow a certain theme so your design is clear and coherent throughout the different pages as well as on each page. Here’s one tip: make it clear to visitors that they are still on your site, no matter what page they visit. You can do this by following a standard pattern, such as right-hand navigation, big headers, sub-headers with background images, and so on.