☆ This one thing will make your website succeed or fail…
The best websites are not necessarily the ones with the best visual design.
Am I talking myself out of a job here? Nope, keep reading...
Your website is effectively a conversation with its visitors, and therefore, it needs to be natural, authentic and human.
To convert website visitors to customers, you need to make them feel seen and understood... and fundamentally, people don't connect with a ‘business’ - they connect with other people.
Personality, authenticity and a human touch to your website builds relationships with its visitors - and this is the key thing which ultimately influences who they buy from… who they feel 'just gets them' and their needs the most.
Yep, CONNECTION.
So how do you achieve this?
Be strategic. Every design choice on your website should be intentional with the purpose of creating connection.
BUT it’s not about adding personality for the sake of it. It’s about using design to make your visitors seen and understood.
So, here’s some simple ways to weave elements of connection into website design.
☆ Trust. You can have the most beautiful looking website ever - but if the content doesn’t seem genuine, people will be able to sense it. You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to know absolutely everything about your industry - sharing your process, your mistakes and how you got past them makes people trust and connect with you. Behind the scenes struggles of your services, or why you created your products - what problems you were trying to solve… this doesn’t make you look unprofessional - it shows you are human.
This also demonstrates your understanding of the problems they are looking to be solved by your service or product!
☆ Everything on your site says something. Your colour palette, copywriting, typography, images - they all convey a vibe, a voice which creates an emotional response… your brand voice. How do you need site visitors to feel, to want to buy from you?
If it’s important to look approachable and relatable, don’t make your website look corporate with stuffy looking stock images. Show yourself in an authentic way, maybe show some more creative, or candid behind the scenes shots too…
☆ Interactive elements invite engagement. Your site visitors should have a smooth, enjoyable journey navigating your website, and so along with a fluid design, think about ways they can interact - Ask questions to make your visitor pause and reflect … just like you would have in a real conversation, or have hover effects that reveal some fun, personal facts about you so they discover more as they journey down your page.
☆ Buttons! Don’t just put generic call to action buttons like ‘learn more’ - be more specific. Use these as an opportunity to continue the conversation you’re having with the visitor … you can say something like send me the pdf or freebie - it’s a small change but it makes the interaction feel more personal.
☆ Language. Be aware of the words you use - are there places where you can swap out industry jargon for more ’normal’ language? Are there short stories you can share instead of just stating facts? This all feeds into the brand voice I mentioned earlier.
AND FINALLY … all these elements add up to give a more personal, authentic and connected experience for visitors to your site. Ask for feedback. Ask your friends, family, customers - what do they feel when visiting your current website?
