Creating a website is the first step toward putting yourself on the virtual map. A website is your starting point; it is the online face of your brand. However, merely creating a website is not enough if it does not generate traffic and engagement.
A high engagement rate determines the time a user spends on your site—a factor search engines consider when providing search results. The higher the traffic, the better chances your website must leave an impression on search engine algorithms.
There are various ways of sprucing up a website to drive the engagement rate, from changing the UI/UX to incorporating effective SEO strategies. According to research, easy-to-navigate UI and UX designs improve a website’s traffic by 200% and 400%, respectively.
How Does Website Design Ensure Positive User Experiences?
Your site’s engagement status is a direct indicator of user experience. High traffic suggests users spent considerable time browsing your website, indicating interest.
Since user experience (UX) is a user’s experience using a specific product or service on your website, it decides the direction of your virtual business. A great UX and website design go hand-in-hand in various ways, such as:
UX Helps Users Navigate the Webpage
An easy-to-browse website will capture the reader’s attention instantly. Instead of tabbing out, the reader will continue scrolling your site, checking different features, and going through your catalog. A well-designed site is built on features like visual tools, graphic designs, and readable and aesthetic fonts.
Keeps the Readers Engaged
An average internet user spends less than a second on a website to decide whether to continue browsing. Therefore, an excellent web design leaves a lasting and great first impression.
An effective design should encompass different web page elements, from content and typography to visual elements and website structure. An organized site is crucial, as clutter only drives users to close the tab or window.
A Great Website Equals Better Functionality
The functioning of your website plays a pivotal role in generating traffic and positive user experiences. A responsive and interactive design perfectly displays your products and services, regardless of the device—desktop, mobile, or tablet.
Enhance Brand Image
Like offline operations, how you present yourself online also determines your professionalism. Inaccessible websites look unprofessional, affecting their reliability.
For instance, an outdated site that requires maintenance will look aesthetically poor and unorganized and give users difficulty navigating it, impacting your business and online image.
Tips To Improve the Website Design
The first step is building a site, the second is learning why it is essential to modify it, and the final stage is changing the web design.
Make The Site User-Friendly
A user-friendly site ensures users can move smoothly from one page to another without encountering any challenges. Customers will not pay attention to the site’s features or your services unless they find the structure and content accessible. Therefore, a user-friendly layout answers their questions and guides them.
To create a user-friendly site, you can add hyperlinks on your website, which will take the users to a related or associated page, such as your products or help desk. For instance, you can create a hyperlink on your homepage’s ‘services’ tab, guiding them to the list of services provided.
Another way to make the website user-friendly is by including divided sections, such as your vision and mission, history, and a link to your social media handles.
Chat With The Customers
Another way to drive engagement through web design is by including customer services, such as live chats, contact information, or query boxes. Around 42% of internet users prefer live chatting with the help desk, as it solves their concerns instantly.
For example, you could place the live chat box on the bottom right of your website, reminding users of the feature while not interrupting their browsing session. This way, they can use the chat box as and when required.
Furthermore, you can ensure your customer service runs 24/7 by rotating your service shifts. However, you should avoid relying solely on AI-generated responses, as it eliminate a personal touch from your website and fails to solve queries outside the AI’s built-in code.
Pay Attention To SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a vital key to generating traffic. Adding relevant keywords, common questions, and hashtags to your content will rank your website higher in the search engine result pages. Moreover, SEO boosts your site’s authenticity and attracts organic engagements.
Use White Space Smartly
Excessive content spacing on a website makes it look unprofessional and lacking, negatively affecting your services. Therefore, ensure your web design removes negative or unused spaces by incorporating visual and graphic tools and audio files.
Final Thoughts
Your site’s engagement rate is an organic indicator of its performance. Better traffic suggests user satisfaction and positive experiences.
You can improve the web design in many ways, such as creating a user-friendly layout, 24/7 customer service, making the site readable, and using SEO tactics effectively.
