You know your website should be doing more for your business, but might not have the time or cashflow to fix it. The good news? There are 5 quick website design tweaks to boost effectiveness.
Here are 5 quick wins to get you started:
1. Speed up your Website Loading, with a few clicks.
If your site isn’t loading instantly (on mobile or laptops), your loosing potential customers (and Google Rankings).
Kissmetrics found 47% of customers expect a website to load in 2 seconds or less. Not only do consumers EXPECT your website to load in 2 seconds or less, but 40% of users will also abandon your website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.
Concerning? Very.
But is there a really quick, free fix? Yes. And we’ve been using it to great effect.
We’ve found an epic free tool called Nitropack that takes a slow-loading website from a 5 out of 10 to a 9 out of 10, with just a few clicks!
Here’s how to do it:
(Assuming your website is made with WordPress).
1. Create a free Nitropack Account
Visit the Nitropack website and sign up for a free account. You can choose the free plan to get started.
2. Install & Activate Nitropack Plugin:
- Login to your website’s WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for “Nitropack” and install the plugin.
- Once installed, activate the plugin.
3. Connect to Nitropack:
- After activation, a new Settings option for Nitropack will appear.
- Click on Settings > Nitropack.
- Click the Connect to Nitropack button.
- Choose the free plan and click Add Nitropack. This will link the website to the Nitropack account
4. Apply Optimization Settings
Nitropack offers an optimization slider. On the Settings page, you can adjust this slider to choose between Automatic and Manual optimization modes. Automatic mode is a good starting point. Manual mode allows for more granular control over optimization options (recommended for advanced users).
5. Check Your Site for Visual Issues
Make sure to visit your website after you active Nitropack on your site and browse through different pages to ensure everything functions properly.
If you notice something out of whack, you can reduce the Nitropack Optimisation Level, and test again. Repeat this until you feel the website is functioning correctly.
Important Things to Note:
- Nitropack free plan only works on your site for the first 5000 page views within a 30 day period. After the first 5000 page views in that 30 day period, Nitropack will stop optimising your site until the 30 day cycle renews. If your site get’s more than 5000 page views, you can opt for a premium paid plan with Nitropack here.
- Nitropack offers a more detailed guide and resources on their website for further configuration.
- It’s always a good practice to back up the website before installing any new plugins. Here’s a video guide for backing up your website:
2. Clarify your Core Message
2 SECONDS!
That’s all you have to keep a website user on your site and scrolling down before they click the back button and move on to your competitors website.
That’s why the first thing you say is so critical.
Think about this – Someone has landed on your site, because they have a specific problem that needs to be solved.
They need to know IMMEDIATELY if your are able to help them!
So your big heading should be about their better life, problem solved. Directly below, you should say simply and clearly what you do that will get them to their better outcome.
Here a few example of how to phrase your main heading and sub heading:
- Feel great again with smoother skin.
Our skin care products are a gentle blend of carefully balanced natural ingredients that revitalise your …. - Have more fun with your family.
Our boardgame is designed to spark family conversations, and laughter, building bonds and memories. - Save time and money with cloud accounting.
Automate admin and work from anywhere, anytime with our easy-to-use cloud accounting software. - 2x your sales immediately with this strategy.
Our fixed floating button plugin makes it easier for your website visitors to contact you. - Take the stress out of event planning.
Our event management software automates client communications and supplier bookings.
Here are a few real design examples:
So many businesses don’t get this right on their website. So if you can nail this, it will be a game-changer. It’s the most impactful change you make out of these 5 Quick Website Design Tweaks to Boost Effectiveness.
If you want to know what to put next on your website home page, check out our step-by-step guide Crafting the Perfect Homepage: Our Proven Home Page Web Design Formula.
3. Simplify Your Menu
Less is more.
Less menu options means your users are more likely to look at the most important pages that address their core needs, establish trust in your business, and ultimately, take the step of buying your product or enquiring about your services.
A cluttered menu with too many options makes it harder for them to find what they need quickly, leading to frustration and potentially them leaving your site altogether.
Your menu should answer 4 essential questions.
- How can you solve my problem?
(“Services” or “Products” or “Solutions”) - Can I trust you?
“About” or “Case Studies” or “Portfolio” - Can I afford you?
“Pricing” or “Packages” - Can we start?
“Contact Us” “Buy” “Join” “Schedule an Appointment”
Everything beyond this is secondary, and therefore should be only available in a menu dropdown or a “more” or “support” tab.
In practice, how does this idea apply in the context of a website menu?
Here are some good menu structure examples:
Logo | Products/Services | About | Contact
Logo | Features | Pricing | More | Contact
Logo | Services | About | Support | Blog | Contact
Here is an example of poor menu structure:
Home | About Us | Our Team | Testimonials | Service 1 | Service 2 | Service 3 | Blog | Partners | Community Work | FAQs | Contact Us
Nb.
There is no need to have a menu item called home as it usually a summary of your site.
A simplified website menu offers several advantages that make it 1 of the 5 Quick Website Design Tweaks to Boost Effectiveness:
Improved Conversions:
A simplified menu can act as a funnel, guiding users towards the actions you want them to take, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you. With fewer distractions, users are more likely to follow the intended path and convert into leads or customers.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO):
Simpler menus with clear labels can also benefit your SEO. Search engines consider website structure when ranking pages, and a well-organized menu with relevant keywords can help search engines understand your website’s content better.
Here are some tips for simplifying your website menu:
Limit the number of options:
Aim for 4-6 top-level menu items. If you have more options, consider moving these under main menu items, or under a menu tab called “More” or “Support” or “Resources”.
Use clear and concise labels:
Make sure your menu items are short, simple and obvious. Don’t try to be clever here. Your menu is your website’s Google Maps navigator. Don’t let people get lost or take the wrong roads to their destination.
Prioritize user needs:
Focus on the most important information and actions users are looking for.
After making these simple menu tweaks, your website users will be feeling peaceful, and in control.
4. Use Clear & Specific Calls to Action (CTAs)
Your website visitors should never be left wondering what to do next. Tell them!
Strong CTAs (Call To Actions), like “Buy Now” or “Contact Us,” guide visitors towards your desired goals.
Make sure your CTAs are prominent, action-oriented, and easy to see.
Some of the different ways you can achieve this are:
- Add a button on the top right of your main menu.
- Add a fixed floating button on the bottom of the screen. You can install Notification X plugin to achieve this quickly and easily.
- Use a consistent, vibrant colour for your main CTA button throughout the site.
- Ensure other links and buttons on the site are not as big, bold or bright as the main CTA.
- If relevant, use the word “Free”.
- Be specific with the button text. For example:
Say “Start your Free Trial“, not “Get Started“.
Say “Get help – Call 072 152 3958” not “Contact us”
Say “Schedule a free call” not “Let’s chat”
Say “Get a free quote” not “Get in Touch“ - If possible, try to use a unique colour for your main call to action throughout your site, that isn’t used much elsewhere.
Here are some perfect CTA button examples:
This is such a fundamental aspect to the effectiveness of a website. But if it’s not right, it’s like letting someone drive your car without a steering wheel! Plus, it’s such a quick tweak you can make right now.
5. Leverage Social Proof – Add Testimonials & Client Logos to Build Trust
Social proof is about establishing a genuine trust in your ability to do what you claim to do. By showcasing testimonials and client logos, you’re essentially saying…
“Look, these happy customers trust us, so you can too!”
Why Testimonials and Logos Work:
- Credibility:
Testimonials from real people add a layer of authenticity to your claims. - Reduced Risk:
Seeing others have success with your product or service reduces the perceived risk for potential customers. - Social Influence:
People are more likely to trust something if others do too.
Best Practices for Implementation:
Showcase High-Quality Testimonials:
- Include the customer’s name, picture, and company (if applicable) for added credibility.
- Highlight specific results achieved to showcase the value you provide.
- Keep them concise and easy to read.
- If possible feature client video testimonials like this one:
- Take the 3-8 most compelling words from the testimonial and add it as a small heading before the full testimonial.
For example:
Want the 5 minute version of adding client logos?
Short on time or web maintenance budget? No worries.
Display your best Google Reviews in 5 minutes using Trustindex.io’s free Widgets for Google Reviews WordPress plugin.
Choose the Right Client Logos:
- Feature logos from well-recognized brands or those relevant to your target audience.
- Ensure the size and positioning of client logos are displayed consistently.
- Link the logos to case study pages on your site to further validate your claims.
Pro Tip: Don’t just bury testimonials and logos on a single page. Integrate them strategically throughout your website:
Homepage:
Feature a few impactful testimonials or logos near your call to action.
Product/Service Pages:
Showcase testimonials relevant to the specific offering.
Case Studies:
Create dedicated pages with in-depth client stories and logo placement.
By leveraging social proof effectively, you can build trust, reduce friction, and ultimately convert more website visitors into loyal customers.
Summary – What to expect after making these 5 Quick Website Design Tweaks to Improve your Site’s Effectiveness
In conclusion, these 5 quick website design tweaks offer immediate benefits to enhance your site’s effectiveness. By prioritizing speed optimization, clarifying your core message, simplifying your menu structure, using clear and specific calls to action, and leveraging social proof through testimonials and client logos, you can significantly improve user experience, build trust, and boost conversions.
Implementing these simple adjustments can yield substantial results for your business, ensuring your website is a powerful tool for attracting and engaging potential customers.