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How to improve your web design process

Did you know that when a visitor arrives on your website, you have about five seconds (or less) to capture their attention and keep them where they are? That’s not a whole lot of time to impress someone, so if your load time is not perfect or your site’s navigation is all over the place, you can say goodbye to your visitors.

It’s not easy creating a website design that works. It really isn’t.Did you know that when a visitor arrives on your website, you have about five seconds (or less) to capture their attention and keep them where they are? That’s not a whole lot of time to impress someone, so if your load time is not perfect or your site’s navigation is all over the place, you can say goodbye to your visitors.Believe it or not, the rapidly changing world of technology is not helping with this, either. New trends can easily make your website outdated and render it all but useless, leaving you with fewer visitors than you started with. So, how are you supposed to fix this issue and keep your visitors? How do you create a website that looks good, functions perfectly, and communicates your message clearly?A complete redesign comes to mind as a valid option, but in some situations, you just won’t be able to do it. Full redesigns are expensive and take time, which means that not only will you have to invest additional money in the project, but also put your website on hold for the foreseeable future.However, even if a redesign is out of the picture, there’s no reason to panic. There are still a lot of ways out there for you to improve your website without having to spend your life savings and lose any more visitors. In the infographic which follows below, we talk about ways to improve your website design and give you tips on how you can immediately boost your site and, with it, your online presence. We’ve covered everything from moving to responsive design to paying more attention to color schemes, so we’re sure that you’ll be able to find something that will help you better your site in no time at all. Happy reading and good luck!

1. Make sure your entire website is responsive

Over the past couple of years, people have started using their mobile phones more for browsing the web, which is what ultimately led websites to move to a mobile-friendly or responsive design and why Google began penalizing sites that are not mobile-friendly in 2015. So, if you have your website, you have probably created a responsive version of it by now—if you haven’t, it’s high time that you do. A responsive design will do wonders for your website regarding SEO and help you position yourself higher in SERPs.

2. Simplify your navigation

If you don’t want your visitors to run away from your website because they can’t get the hang of your navigation, then do your best to make it as simple as possible. You’ll want to have no more than seven items in your menu (the point is to make it easy for people to move around your website), try to be as descriptive as possible in your labels, and even keep your navbar fixed. That way, your visitors will be able to stay longer than five seconds on your site.

3. Improve page speed for lower bounce rate and longer sessions

Website speed has long been discussed in the world of marketing, and it’s one of the main reasons why a lot of visitors tuck tail and run away from certain websites. In fact, if you’ve got even a two-second delay in your load time during a transaction, the chances are that your potential customers will abandon their carts and you’ll end up with one customer less than you started with. So, work on speeding up your websites before you do anything else—there are even tools out there that you can use to help you out!

4. Make a clear Call to Action, guide user behavior

Does having a CTA button on your page matter at all? Does making it a certain color change something in the way your users act on your website? It sure does! Studies have shown that orange CTA buttons boost conversion rates by 32.5%, while red buttons boost rates by a whole 21%. Now, that’s a huge difference right there for your website! Plus, if you want your CTAs to be game-changing, make sure to use actionable words in them such as: discover, start, learn, etc.

5. Make the most of social media, we live in a world of sharing

If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past decade, then you might have noticed that social media networks have taken over the world. There are 800 million monthly active users on Instagram and 100 million daily active users on Twitter, which is why it’s important for your website to offer social buttons to your visitors. There’s a chance that they will like what they see, share their thoughts on their profiles, and boost your presence even further.

Website Trends 2020: What to Expect From the Top Designs of Tomorrow

Web design has evolved dramatically in the past several years. Trends that recently dominated the digital sphere now seem hopelessly out of date. The pace of change isn’t about to ease up in the near future — and brands that fail to shift their strategy accordingly risk falling behind.To stay ahead of the curve, consider implementing a few of the followinwhich are expected to make their mark in 2020:

Minimalist Design

The minimalist look was a big deal in 2019 — and it’s fully expected to carry forward into the new year.Users hate visual clutter. Many demand modern web designs as bright and clean as the expansive HGTV kitchens they highlight on their Pinterest pages. That being said, the white space traditionally associated with minimalist design may not prove as dominant in 2020. Increasingly, designers see value in brighter colors, which can be included without creating excessive digital clutter.Minimalist web design takes many forms. What works for one website could prove disastrous elsewhere. In general, however, minimalist looks tone down visual elements and emphasize broad expanses of empty space. This, in turn, draws the eye to focal points, which prove that much more impactful in the absence of distraction.For 2020, determine where you can cut back. Is every visual element truly necessary? Focus on the essentials and avoid clutter at all costs.

Enlarged Text And Visual Elements

As minor visual elements are stripped back, focal points will become bolder than ever. Oversized text, in particular, resonates with today’s users, who overwhelmingly prefer concise, easy-to-grasp messages. This trend is also in keeping with the increased emphasis on mobile-friendly design. As screens shrink, users are less willing to squint at small text.To achieve a bolder look while still maintaining the tenets of minimalism, many sites will opt for featuring large typography. This approach emphasizes each brand’s key message to ensure that it immediately resonates with visitors. From there, users can move forward with their website experience as they see fit.Fullscreen styles should not be confused with the splash pages of yesteryear, which users found frustrating. When integrated properly, fullscreen designs can coexist with a seamless experience, especially as smartphone users swipe or scroll to desired content.

Interactivity

Website visitors overwhelmingly prefer to take an active role in digital experiences. Passive content once dominated the web, but in 2020, interactive features will take over. Users will come to expect engaging animations, including small, but impactful mouse hover effects that add movement and visual interest to otherwise standard webpages.The most effective designs of tomorrow will not simply be interactive because visitors find it entertaining, but rather, because such experiences provide a better feel for the elements that make brands unique. Interactive content should instantly convey core messages while also delivering an emotional impact.

Focus on the User

undefinedUser experience has long been a big deal in web design, but it promises to play an even more important role in 2020. The websites of tomorrow will be carefully customized to grant visitors the exact experience they desire. Success will require thinking from the end user’s perspective, rather than attempting to force a specific type of experience or reaction on visitors.Emerging trends can play a valuable role in your website’s design — especially if you’re determined to avoid stale and ineffective content. Ultimately, however, your brand will benefit most from emphasizing the unique needs of your target audience.Which features do top users prefer? What could they stand to do without? Keep these considerations at the forefront as you harness the trends of 2020. After all, a quality user experience never goes out of style.There’s a lot to love about the latest developments in web design. Your unique approach matters, however — and with complicated concepts taking center stage, you can benefit from targeted assistance.

SearchEngine Optimization

KTO SEO experts will get you top Google search engine rankings for your targeted keywords and phrases. As a professional SEO company in South Africa, our affordable local services generate quality leads and increase sales for your business. We have successfully helped many companies in South Africa take the advantage to rank high on Google with our reliable search engine optimization services. With more than 10 years of experience as an online marketing company specializing in SEO, our many success stories show that we are leaders in search engine optimization. We also provide SEO Training and Social Media Marketing.

Why invest in SEO?

Whether we like it or not, the truth of the matter is that most people are going online before they decide to do business. Even those who do not regularly shop online are still using the internet to research their options before purchasing. This means that if customers aren’t finding you online, you’re losing out on offline customers as well. If your competitors are already investing in SEO, they will be leaving you behind if you don’t do the same. And, if they’re not, its an opportunity for you to get the jump on them.

What are the Benefits of SEO?

Apart from the obvious benefit of increasing website traffic by ranking high on the Search Engine Results Pages(SERPs), an organic ranking on Google’s first page means that you can spendless on pay-per click advertising and other marketing expenses to drive traffic to your website. Take the case of one of our clients who owns a small e-commerce store and was spending R6000-R8000 per month on Google AdWords. When they reached the first spot in Google search results, they were able to turnoff their AdWords investment and save themselves nearly R100 000 per year.

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