Once you have a solid idea for website content, it is time to think about your website design. Don't lose your visitors by having poor web design and readability. Here are some good checklist that you need to pass on to your webmaster: Consistent page layout - consistent layout design will boost your site's readability and improve the perception of your business and your content. If you own an ecommerce website, make sure you design the checkout page with similar header/footer/navigation links or any other logos and images you want to associate with. Put all your contact information in one place. Do not scatter them all over.
Use images to describe your products - Images on your ecommerce website will boost sales because they give a "tangible" feeling for your customers. Always place images on the left side of your text description. Study shows that people will better read your description if put on the right side of pictures. Always make text description stand out. Images will attract your visitors' eyes, therefore they will read the text desription. Present your important message here.
Avoid too many flash animations - they only make your website load slower. Not all visitors have flash players installed. Flash animations don't work for ecommerce website
Break apart long paragraphs - Keep your paragraphs to 4-6 lines. No more.
Differentiate background and text color - Make your text readable. Have a bold contrast between the two. In order for your content to be readable you have to make it stand out. If you have a dark background, make your text very light colored. If you have a white background, make the text very dark.
Use standard link format - standard text link format is blue in color and underlined. Do not underline text that is not a link since it will confuse your readers. Wichita State usability study shows that embedded links inside a text are very user-friendly and easier to navigate.
Have a font size that everybody can read - Do not design a website with a very big headlines nor small text size for body paragraphs. Many experts believe 10pt or 12pt are the best for website content. According to eye-tracking studies, a paragraph with very big headline will make your readers skim faster, therefore not all information is optimally absorbed. You can highlight information that is very important. In my opinion, highlighting text is not very pretty but it does a good job in grabbing someone's attention.
Pay attention to the average time your visitors spend on your website. Experiment with new text size, headlines, color highlights, bold, or italics. Tweak your website design and pay attention to readibility. You should make your main message stand out and grab their attentions. They should be able to find what they are looking for quickly and effortlessly.
Most of these tweaks can be done in less than an hour. However, the result is priceless. Small changes could make all the difference and lead you to better conversions.
Andrew Lee is one of the ecommerce experts from InixMedia Web Design, a complete web development company that understands internet marketing to promote your website. Please visit InixMedia to get no obligation quote for web design, redesign, or web maintenance
