Website Redesign Tips For Better Conversion

Websites are redesigned for a reason. Big brands and small business don’t do it just for the sake of beautification. They’re in it for growing traffic, converting leads and increasing sales. Last year, two trends compelled webmasters to redesign: Google’s new search algorithms (Penguin and Panda) and the growth of mobile traffic.

Before anything else, there are at least two things to consider when planning for a site redesign. First, optimize for mobile devices. Second, pay careful attention to redesign issues that may affect site traffic or search engine optimization.

Here’s a further exploration of what it takes to redesign for better conversion.

Have Clear Goals and Redesign Expectations

It’s easy to claim that the current website design simply doesn’t work. It’s difficult, however, to prove that a redesign will lead to better conversions. That’s why it’s important for business to invest a good amount of time brainstorming what the redesign is for. What gaps or issues are being addressed?

What has changed in terms of priorities or focus?

Clear and specific website development goals make up the foundation of any solid Internet marketing strategy. “To increase conversion rate” isn’t as clear and specific as “to increase conversion rate by 20%.” Redesign for measurable goals.

Make it Easy for Visitors to Respond to an Action

Almost every marketer knows the importance of a call-to-action (CTA). A CTA is any type of content that urge visitors or readers to take a specific and immediate action. Not all CTAs are effective. This is especially true in cases of poorly designed websites with “buy now” and subscription buttons and cluttered navigation options.
The key to better conversion is in crafting an effective CTA. For it to be effective, webmasters have to make it easy for visitors to take an action, such as clicking the “subscribe now” button or completing a subscription form in no time. This explains why minimalist websites that thoughtfully utilize whitespace convert better than cluttered and image-heavy websites.

Convey Unique Selling Proposition Clearly and Effectively

Dropbox and Salesforce’s work.com does this best by using explainer videos on their landing pages. These are short videos that effectively explain a company’s story, its product or service, and what benefits users can get from it. Since redesigning their websites to include explainer videos, Dropbox and work.com increased conversion rates by 10% and 20% respectively.

The best selling propositions are simple yet engaging content. Many of them are visually appealing images and videos since users are known to retain information better through visual cues. Besides explainer videos, visual tweaks such as the use of appropriate color and font, compelling buttons, and positive verbs can help boost conversion rate. Be sure to brief web designers of the company’s goal to convert more leads.

Optimize Website for Better User Experience

The web as early adopters know it used to be accessible through big-sized computers. Today, more and more users access the Internet through laptops, netbooks, smartphones , tablets and gaming devices. Their number continue to rise rapidly worldwide. And businesses looking to attract and convert more leads could not afford to miss the mobile web.

Redesigning for a better user experience necessarily means embracing responsive web design. It’s the best way to deliver content both to large screens and portable devices.

These are just some redesign tips for raising conversion rates. For webmasters who have already completed a redesign or CMS migration, check for any coding problems and crawling issues. Remember, a great web design is just a part of a bigger picture. Plan for the long-term by considering web design, search engine optimization and social media marketing.

What is Responsive Web Design?

The internet and its technologies are changing rapidly, as are the device we use to access it.  In the past, the dynamic nature of the World Wide Web was somewhat handcuffed by the fact that we could only access online technologies from our home computers.  Today however, mobile devices, laptops, and tablet computers allow us to surf the web from nearly every corner of the planet.  Subsequently, the way we use the internet and the way we develop websites has also changed.  And that brings us to responsive web design.

So, what is responsive web design?  In the simplest terms, responsive web design (RWD) is an approach that endeavours to craft a site in such a way that the end user experiences optimal viewing without the need for constant resizing, panning, and scrolling regardless of what type of device they are using.  Whether customers are accessing your site from a desktop computer or a mobile phone, the site’s layout is automatically optimized for the user’s screen.  RWD is exciting since it constitutes a completely different design mentality than traditional web design. 

Responsive Web Design is a very new concept, and is recognized as one of the top web design trends in 2012.  A site designed with RWD utilizes fluid proportion-based grids and flexible images in order to adapt to the viewer’s device layout.  Unlike traditional forms of web design, RWD uses different style rules that are based on characteristics of the viewing device and the width of the browser.  Page element sizing is more fluid as it relies on ratios or percentages rather than absolute units such as pixels.  Flexible images also rely on relative sizing so that they will display correctly regardless of the user’s device.

Learn how to Redesign website with this simple Step-by-Step Redesign Guide.

Ultimately, responsive web design is bound to become a powerful tool that will allow us to think beyond the restrictions of the printed page.  Web sites are not bound by the same rules as print medium, so our designs are considerably more flexible.  Moreover, web design is almost defined by transience, and our technologies are constantly being refined, replaced, or revised.  RWD is the forefront of web design, but in just a few years it has the potential to be the standard of design.  As devices and input methods become more dynamic, companies want to build customized websites that function efficiently for all devices.  Responsive web design will allow a developer to make one page that functions seamlessly across devices.

Many web developers already see responsive web design as the future of their art.  Instead of developing separate, device-specific sites, forward thinking designers seek progressive solutions.  RWD is redefining web design in such a way that rewards creativity and flexibility. 

How Much Does It Cost To Build A New Website?

Thinking of starting your own website but afraid that the cost of building a site may be over and above your budget? Well, there are many different types of websites and the cost of building these sites are different. In other words, there is a range of pricing and you can easily choose a price that you are comfortable with and start from there. Here are some examples of the different types of sites you can build.

Basic static html sites. – These are the simplest sites to create. They are basically just static pages that contain some content such as texts and images. You will need to pay for a template though. The template design is basically what you are paying for if you hire a web designer to create a static website. You also need to hire someone to write the content if you are not going to do this on your own. This is the most basic type of site and may cost between $100 to $200, depending on the designer you hire.

Site with Content Management System. – If you intend to maintain the site on your own and do frequent updates, then you will need a content management system (or CMS). Most CMS are open source and you don’t need to pay for them. Here are some recommended CMS: WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. However, do need to pay for a custom template, as well as any customizations or configurations done on the CMS. This option is slightly more expensive, and may cost you $500 or more. The price is still highly affordable for most business owners and till today, this remains the most popular option. The use of a CMS means that the webmaster don’t have to spend money on updates in the future.

Custom built site. – If you want to build everything from scratch, you will need to hire a web developer. Choose a programming language that is popular, such as ASP.NET or PHP. It’s easier to find servers that support these languages. It’s also easier to hire freelancers due to the popularity of these programming languages. A custom site is expensive because the script is only meant for you. You are paying for exclusivity, and the developer will build everything based on your personal requirements. The more features you want to have on the site, the more you must be prepared to pay. Most developers charge based on their time spent on the site. So if you want them to do more work, you have to pay them for their time. A custom built site can range from $800 to thousands of dollars. Pick this option only if you have very specific requirements (e.g. a custom application that you really need), and if you have a big budget. The advantage of having a custom site is that you have the freedom to create any feature you want on the website.


Vadim Kotin is the founder of Vancouver based Digital Marketing Agency VN Web Group