Your website is your presence in the online world. It’s the face of your business, what customers see when they search for you, what search engines index to show you in relevant queries. Thus, it has to be interesting, effective, and most of all, engaging. Customers have short attention spans and they want answers fast. They don’t have the time or the motivation to sift through uninteresting, messy websites. So how do you make your website more engaging? There are a few ways to go about it. Let’s examine how to make your website more engaging so that users turn into customers. That is the end goal, after all!

Pay Attention to Aesthetic

The aesthetic of your website is extremely important. Web design has come a long way from the Yahoo websites and Geocities page builders of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. Now, websites are sleek, smooth, generally free from intrusive pop-ups, and have depth to them. They’re not flat and poorly created.

Your website’s aesthetic is influenced by a number of factors. Think, for example, about the colors of your theme. Color psychology is important to consider – put simply, reds evoke aggression and command a lot of attention, while blues are warmer and more comforting. If you use too many different colors, your website will be a mess. If you use the wrong colors for your services, users will be repelled. Of course, there’s also readability when it comes to color – text that is too light or too dark will be difficult to read.

In addition to colors, you have to pay attention to size. If you have large sections of text (or large fonts), it may be overwhelming and difficult for the reader to focus. Overlarge photos paired with small captions (or the inverse) can make readability impossible.

When you design your website, think of the theme and what you want to convey. An aesthetically pleasing site with calm colors can positively influence readers.

Keep the User Interface Simple

Your website should not be hard to navigate. Menus and buttons should be clear, not hidden; they shouldn’t vanish when you hover just outside or not go anywhere when you click them. Make sure your site follows a logical progression within the menus, too.

For example, if you operate a small bookstore, you should group the books together in an intelligent manner. If you also do bookbinding, that should be a separate menu with details about the service. Your readers want information and they want to know about your business, so make it simple for them to learn more about you!

Direct Users to the Right Places

Call-to-action phrases are important – you can always say “Click Here to Learn More!” or “Shop new arrivals today!” However, you can’t simply insert a phrase in one spot and expect users to see it. Make sure that you have a contact form on every page, that you direct users to an appointment page wherever possible, and that you provide links to your social media in visible places.

Use internal links to direct them to other parts of your website, and external links to send them to affiliates. You can make sure they see products you endorse or other companies you work with by linking out.

If you have a blog on your website, you should ensure that it is easily searchable. Use specific, accurate tags and allow users to sort the posts by different filters, such as date uploaded, topic, views, and more. And speaking of blogs – a varied blog that pulls in users from many different avenues is invaluable to keeping your website engaging, so make sure it’s populated!

Avoid Clutter and Overload

Cluttered websites are basically unmanageable. Users won’t be able to find the information they need, and they likely won’t convert. More importantly, though, you need to ensure that your site isn’t slowing down because of everything on it.

If you put too many images and videos on one page, or if you use an abundance of effects and graphics, the page will take longer to load. It may even be too slow to navigate, which can be a nightmare for mobile users. This is especially problematic if you have a website that isn’t simply meant for conversions but actually requires customers to make purchases.

For instance, if you own a restaurant that offers online ordering, your website needs to be efficient and fast. If there are problems, customers will go elsewhere, or they’ll have errors with their orders, leading to dissatisfaction, refunds, poor reviews, and more. Keep your website engaging, not slow!

Show Off

You might get a lot of customers from word of mouth and referrals, but you’ll need to show your products and services, happy customers, offerings, and more.

Own a tattoo shop? Upload photos of completed pieces, difficult designs, and intricate work.

Own a bakery? Display all the different cakes and pastries, especially if you do custom orders and designs.

Run your own clothing store? Use a variety of models to showcase your clothes on different body types.

Of course, customer testimonials are a great way to make the website more engaging. Customers connect with other customers, and if they see reviews, views, and messages from real people, they’ll be more likely to trust your brand.

Your website is the one place you control your content – so don’t be afraid to show everything off!

Website Management with Promotion LA

Promotion LA is a digital management and marketing company. We’ve helped launch websites for numerous businesses over the years, and we always strive to make sure that they’re interactive, clean, and engaging. We understand the importance of efficient websites in today’s day and age, and our goal is to help businesses grow in the online realm.

Whether you run a company that’s been in operation for twenty years or if you’re at the head of a new start-up, you can benefit from our digital services. Contact Promotion LA today to learn more about keeping your website engaging and building a platform that best serves your customers.