As sales and service move ever more into the online space, it is vital for any business to have a recognisable, attractive and functional online presence. The best way to achieve this is by making sure that your website design is spot on from the very start. Web design that is geared towards great customer experience and brisk sales, should always be based on the four fundamental elements discussed below. Keep these in mind while designing and maintaining your website, and you should have no problems keeping your customers happy.
1. First Impressions Last
It takes between 4 and 8 seconds for a visitor to your site to either become a customer or click away, possibly to a competitor’s site. That is all the time you have to make a good impression! So, you need to make sure that your site is visually appealing and attracts and retains a visitor’s interest. Put a lot of effort into the look and feel of your site and do research to determine what would be most attractive to clients in your particular market.
2. Ease and Speed of Use Is Essential
It may look pretty. But, if it doesn’t work, a frustrated customer will gladly look elsewhere. Not only should you ensure that your website’s various functions are always working properly, but you should also research the design and programming of those functions to check whether they are optimised for customer use. If an element or function is slow or counterintuitive, customers are not likely to be patient and give you the benefit of the doubt.
3. Sales Are Made Through Emotional Connections
You can’t keep your site impersonal and generic and then expect to generate the kind of brand loyalty that comes from good customer experience. Think hard about your brand and how it is presented to customers. Also, be sure to put names and faces to your brand. Team photographs and bios, or endorsements from well-known personalities, can go a long way towards building trust in your brand.
4. Customers Need Information
Don’t let the information on your site get dated. Update it constantly. Keep a blog that you add to on a regular basis, encourage customer reviews on your products so that future buyers have something to refer to. Always make sure that your basic product info is as complete as possible. A major frustration for customers is clicking on a product they may want to buy and seeing no information to help them with their purchase decision.
WSI OMS is a well-established expert in web design. Contact us to assess and discuss your customer experience.