I cannot tell you the number of times we’ve heard “our website is just a brochure, we don’t get any business from it” — to which I typically reply “Isn’t that why we are talking?”
It isn’t unusual for potential clients to come to us with information about their logo and telling us the number of pages and asking for a quote. We start from there and then ask A LOT of questions to move them towards performance-driven web design.
What Is Performance-Driven Web Design?
There are several keys to having a design that actually integrates into your marketing and / or sales.
First, is having clear Calls to Action (CTAs). We had a potential client, a plumbing company, come to us to do Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on their site. I asked them what their CTA was. “We want people to call us” was the response. We looked at their home page together and I asked where their phone number was. Needless to say our first step in working with them was to add their number to the top of every page.
Next in performance-driven design is having a strategic layout that moves visitors towards the proper CTA. This means having “above-the-fold” messaging. Think about the old-fashioned newspapers — the main story was always above the fold. This works with the first thing people see on your website whether it is the homepage or if they’ve arrived at another page through a search query. Don’t make prospects scroll if they’re ready to engage.
Finally, is considering the roles of User Experience (UX). UX driven design is important. Make sure your navigation is clear and easy to find that users are looking for. Don’t bury key pages six clicks deep. In the ideal UX, users’ shouldn’t have to click more than three times to get to where you want them to go. The final part of UX design to consider is page speed. The longer a page takes to load, the less likely users will have the patience to wait for it.
Whether you want to have people contact you (phone, form, scheduler, etc) or if your goal is to make sure that the referrals you receive see the culture and brand you’ve shared with them in person, performance-driven design will help you to track where your visitors go, what they do, and ultimately if they convert to customers.
If you are not sure if your site is built to convert,
