7 web design elements to optimise the conversion of your online prospects

Whatever its subject or purpose, a website generally aims at converting its passing internet users into loyal "clients". One can place call-to-action buttons on pages and hope that will be enough. But to truly make the most of your interface's potential, exploring design can unlock new conversion levers. Having some knowledge in this area is therefore particularly valuable.

What does design have to do with converting my internet users?

In English, CCD (Conversion-Centered Design) consists of creating a user experience that pushes the internet user towards your objective. Rather than waiting for internet users to click on call-to-action buttons, such a design actively works towards their conversion.

In concrete terms, one can easily compare this to Ikea stores and their winding paths to the exit. Why is it impossible to simply pick up the item you want and find the checkout directly in these stores? Because the brand's managers want to give customers the opportunity to see as many of their products as possible. The more they see, the longer they stay in the store, the more likely they are to purchase additional items.

Conversion-centered design works on the same principle and pursues the same objective. This form of marketing draws on fundamental web design rules and psychology to guide the internet user through the pages of your site.

Download the Inbound Marketing ABCs to discover this new approach in 26 terms.

The 7 fundamental rules of web design

The first 4 concern purely visual elements:

1. Encapsulation
2. Contrast and colours
3. Directional signals
4. White space

The other 3 refer to psychological elements:

1. Urgency and scarcity
2. "Try before you buy"
3. Social proof

These 7 elements can be used on landing pages, banners, sidebars, or on any part of your site where you want to draw attention.

1. Encapsulation

What is encapsulation? It consists of including one element within another. In design, encapsulation can involve placing a call-to-action button within a special frame. You can also use shapes such as circles and play on contrast and colours to draw the attention of internet users to the button in question.

2. Contrast and colours

The call-to-action must be clearly visible, through the interplay of colours and contrast. Using a shape that stands out will accentuate the effect. Some recommend using colour theory, whilst others find contrast far more essential.

It is worth noting that colour theory proposes that each colour evokes certain emotions, according to the collective imagination:

Black: Serious Brown: Wholesome Red: Danger, Excitement Dark blue: Calm, Trust Light blue: Relaxed, Youthful Gold: Conservative, Elegance Grey: Integrity, Maturity, Neutrality Green: Comfort, Growth, Positivity Metallic: Elegance, Wealth Orange: Positivity Pastels: Sensitivity, Softness, Youth Pink: Youth, Warmth Purple: Royalty White: Purity, Cleanliness, Honesty Yellow: Positivity, CautionYou can use these colours and play on their contrast to create a sense of urgency or, conversely, of security. The goal is to instil the kind of emotions that will help achieve your objective.

3. Directional signals

Through design, guide your internet users towards your call-to-action buttons. Visual signals help to lead the internet user to the right place. For example, arrows will draw attention towards the headline or button of your choice. Similarly, illustrations of people or animals looking in a particular direction will encourage the internet user to look in the same direction.

4. White space

White space creates empty areas around important elements in order to make them stand out. It prevents content from drowning in its own mass. Too many elements grouped together will make each one individually less visible. The internet user will see a cluster of information without focusing on any one part in particular. With white space, the eye is able to focus on certain elements of your choice. The internet user therefore has a greater chance of seeing what you want to show them and clicking where you would like them to.

5. Urgency and scarcity

Sometimes, internet users tend to overthink things and drag their feet when they need to make a decision. If they know your offer is permanent, they will not feel rushed unless they need it immediately. Let them know that your offer will not necessarily always be available.

This can amount to displaying the quantity of products still in stock, from what date the price will increase, how many places are still available, the time remaining before the end of a promotion, and so on. This information should be placed near the call-to-action button. Create a sense of urgency, without going to extremes. Do not place a 90-second countdown that will inevitably have to restart once the time runs out.

6. "Try before you buy"

Give people a taste of your products. This can be achieved through a slideshow with high-resolution images, a video, a chapter of an e-book downloadable as a PDF or posted on a blog article with a call-to-action button, and so on. This makes your offer more credible and tangible. The internet user will feel more confident. It will help them make a decision. Moreover, this can save you having to manage product returns or negative online reviews. Be creative in how you present yourself and in your choice of sample.

7. Social proof

Correctly disseminating social proof is important for conversion. It makes your offer tangible through people who have already used your products or services. It adds authenticity and credibility by demonstrating that other people have already trusted you — and rightly so. Be cautious, however: whilst social proof can add significant value to conversion, it can also reduce its effectiveness. Client reviews and testimonials must appear genuine and honest. There should be no sense that you have cherry-picked the most favourable ones or even created some yourself from scratch.

Why use design in the conversion of prospects?

Clutter is the number-one enemy of effective design. It loses internet users, distracts them, and prevents them from focusing their attention on your offer. Many website owners are tempted to use a ready-made design they like and simply add a call-to-action button. But the chosen design is not necessarily conceived with conversion in mind or with the inclusion of a call-to-action button.

With the web design principles mentioned above, you can request or build a design that is conceived for conversion. In general, this type of design reduces clutter and clearly shows visitors the products or services you want them to see.

A few additional points to consider

Of course, the 7 points mentioned above are not exhaustive but rather represent solid foundations for a web design that effectively converts internet users into clients.

A few additional points can complement these foundations.

Links: For a landing page dedicated to a single objective, it is advisable to place a single link that will lead, for example, to newsletter sign-up if that is the objective. Avoiding additional links will help the internet user to focus on the link of your choice and not stray or leave the page via a tangential link.

Text content also plays an important role in conversion. Well-written and effective, it will optimise your chances. The design must showcase it rather than distract the internet user and draw them away from the text.

The call-to-action button: Making it appear on the first page — without having to scroll down — should help your button to capture the internet user's attention before distracting them as they discover the rest of the page's content.

Sidebars: Placing a newsletter sign-up form, adverts, links to your social media, an RSS feed, and many other items on the side of your page in a sidebar is rather common. So common, in fact, that internet users, being accustomed to it, tend to ignore these sections (unless they have come specifically to look for one of the items listed). If the purpose of your page is to draw attention to one of these elements, it would therefore be better to place it elsewhere to give it greater prominence.

(Freely translated from Elegantthemes)

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