Most potential clients will visit your website before contacting you, meaning your website is the make-or-break first impression of your business. A strong, positive impression increases the chances of converting a visitor to a client or customer. But a bad first impression can drive leads away.
There are many elements to consider when creating an effective website – from high-quality design and user experience to engaging content to a secure, well-functioning interface. If any of these aspects are not up to par, that first impression may suffer.
We’ve compiled 7 of the most overlooked elements that can lead to a negative user experience on your website if not addressed.
1. User Interface
User interface refers to the way people interact with your website (buttons, menu items, moving animation, etc.). Creating an engaging user interface is key to a positive user experience. If someone has a hard time navigating your website, they’re likely going to leave to search for a solution elsewhere.
Dynamic website elements can encourage interaction, but you don’t want to cause cognitive friction or overwhelm your visitors. Fatigue or disinterest can occur if you have too many moving elements, too much text, or confusing buttons or page titles.
2. Brand Consistency
Inconsistency is among the biggest killers on a website. Incorporating too many colors and fonts or using images and graphics with varying styles can lead to brand confusion.
To create a consistent brand voice, clearly define your tone of voice, color scheme, image style, and typography throughout your website and other marketing materials. Establishing consistency will support your brand identity and set expectations as people bounce between your website, social media, and other marketing materials.
Consistent sites tend to be more appealing to the eye and leave a longer-lasting impression. For example, consider Apple’s branding. They offer many different types of products, but consistent fonts, colors, and image treatments are used throughout their product lines and marketing materials. Their content is easily distinguishable because it aligns with their brand identity.
3. Content
The most important element on your website is the actual written content. If your content is too long, poorly written, or overly complicated, people will probably get frustrated and leave the website.
Before starting a website project, take the time to get organized and define your services, establish your products, and solidify the company or team story you’re going to tell. Luckily, if you’re not a strong writer, you can always hire a web content writer who can spark these discussions with you and reflect it onto your website.
Furthermore, you can have the most amazing content on your site, but if you don’t clearly define the “next step”, people will leave your site without taking action. There are several calls to action you can include on your website such as:
- Calling you
- Scheduling a meeting via Calendly, OnceHub, etc.
- Filling out a contact form
- Reviewing your project portfolio
- Exploring your services
- Downloading a PDF guide or document
Incorporate several short and simple call-to-action buttons throughout your website to encourage people to take the next step with you. But be sure to maintain consistency and not include too many CTA types to avoid visitor confusion.
4. Responsiveness
As of August 2023, about 54% of web traffic was via a mobile device. People have high expectations for their online experiences, and if your website looks “off” on someone’s phone screen, they may not engage with you.
Your website needs to be easy to navigate regardless of the device someone is using to view it. Be mindful of how fonts resize, images and paragraphs crop, and sections get spaced out when looking at the site from a phone or tablet.
It’s best to work with professionals who have experience designing mobile-first websites so that you don’t have to readjust a design that was created only for larger screens.
5. Accessibility
Accessibility is a subtle yet critical component to your website. The ADA has established the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) which outline the standards for creating a website that is accessible for all users.
Having a website that is not accessible can also subject your company to legal repercussions. Some common accessibility items to consider include:
- Writing alternative (alt) text for all images
- Creating accessible video content with closed captions
- Using high color contrast ratios
- Checking that content doesn’t get cropped when the webpage is zoomed in
- Clearly labeling links, buttons, page titles, and text for screen reader tools
6. Performance
We’ve all been to a website that takes too long to load, has buttons that don’t work, or is just difficult to navigate. And chances are, you left the site in frustration. Even with top-notch content and design, a website that doesn’t perform well can harm your chances of gaining new business.
To support good performance, consider the following:
- Choose the proper image file type and sizes
- Host videos on a third-party and then embed them
- Be mindful of how many plugins the site uses and remove any unnecessary as needed
- Limit the number of 3rd party tracking scripts on the site
7. Security and Maintenance
The above six items are primarily addressed during the design and development of your website. But the work isn’t done once you click “launch.” Before launching your new website, consider the long-term plan.
Websites can be vulnerable to hacking, so it’s important to implement web security protocol to keep your site and its content safe. This can include choosing a reputable hosting platform that’s made to support your CMS (hosting WordPress sites on WPEngine, for example).
If you don’t have a lot of technical expertise, you should work with a team of experts to maintain the backend of your site for you. Having a dedicated support team ensures that your site is being properly monitored and maintained.
Conclusion
There are a lot of things to consider when working on a website redesign or new website build, and missing just one piece of the puzzle can make or break the effectiveness of your site.
Preparation prior to starting a web project can be a huge help, and working with an experienced professional to help you navigate the process can make it a lot easier to establish an effective site.
Reach out to us today if you’re interested in improving your website!
