Getting the attention of a potential website visitor is becoming more challenging as time goes by. Studies show that a potential customer will view a site that he or she lands on for a matter of seconds before he decides to stop and look around. If the visit lasts for thirty seconds, your chances of capturing his attention increase appreciably. Once the clock ticks to sixty seconds, your odds of converting the visitor is excellent. The only reason why a visitor may dawdle for a full minute is that your website has enticed the browser with something that piques his particular needs or interests.
In the parlance of digital marketing, your site has achieved what is called stickiness. What is the reason for a potential customer's reticence in delving into your website? To fully understand what goes through a visitor's mind, it's helpful to put yourself in their position. Studies show that the average consumer is inundated with ten thousand ad messages a day. Simply put, the consumer is experiencing ad fatigue. The human brain cannot absorb that much information without developing a filtering system to process only relevant information and ignore the rest.
It is therefore vital to provide the visitor with what he's looking for at a quick glance. So what does a business need to do in order to attract the attention of a potential customer? The following principles of web design and development, and a successful digital marketing strategy will help get the attention your product or service deserves.
Narrow your Audience
Employ tried and proven digital marketing tactics designed to capture the audience you're attempting to attract. If you're using a targeted e-mailing list, narrow your options to optimise response. Analyse the demographics that best suits your wares. If you're a brick and mortar operation, ascertain what postcode best fits your targeted audience. For inbound responses, offer an enticement that delivers a call to action such as a complimentary assessment of needs, a discount, or more information to be downloaded. Google AdWords offers targeted keywords that are essential to your content.
Design a Sticky website
Basic principles of successful web design encompass components that optimise the stickiness equation. A sticky website design will succeed in attracting the right audience and encourage future visits by providing new content on a regular basis. A properly optimised blog is a great tool for visitor retention and encouraging future visits.
Don't Be Cheap with White Space
The legendary architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is credited with launching the Minimalist design movement back in the 40s with his famous quote Less is More. That aesthetic has touched every aspect of the design disciplines ranging from art to architectural and graphic design. White space, also referred to as negative space, makes it easier to eliminate internet page clutter and permits the brain to focus on the pertinent information you wish to communicate.
Communicate Your Message Clearly
Be clear and to the point with your content and design elements. Remember, you only have seconds to clearly state the purpose of your site. This is no time to be overly clever. If your product relates to Senior Healthcare, a graphic of a young couple dancing through a field of wild flowers may be off-message.
Use Graphics that Identifies Who You Are
A picture tells a thousand words. The brain unconsciously focuses on graphics such as logos and illustrations before anything else. These elements should provide clarity to your message.
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