Website Basics
"Great web design without functionality is like a sports car with no engine."
Paul Cookson
purpose
A website is more than just a way for you to showcase who you are and what you do. A great website has structure and a strategic purpose to each page and when done right, it should operate as a streamlined sales assistant helping potential customers to enter your sales funnel automatically.
Following a solid structure makes a website more accessible and user friendly, meaning that visitors will be able to better navigate their way through your website and find the content they need (and enjoy the process).
A great website is also visually pleasing and has enough interactive elements to keep your audience captivated enough to stay on your website, whilst being simple enough to avoid overwhelm. It is a considered balance of design, direction and copywriting to ensure you are effectively communicating your brands message, whilst connecting with your audience on a deeper level.
OBJECTIVE
Objectively we want to create awareness, generate immediate revenue or get more traffic to later convert into sales after visitors fill out contact forms with their information. All of this is done through separate pages which we will be going through in this section.
To start, let’s do a quick overview of the most important aspects of great web design by watching the short video below.
Process
With all pages on your website try to follow the following structure:
Hero Image and Attention Grabbing Headline
Identify audience’s greatest pain and how you have the solution (what you’re selling). Large strong image or video that amplifies the identification of your audience with your solution.
Explanatory Subheading
Emotional headline explaining how your offer delivers on the promise in the main headline (speaking to their problem). Encourage reader to stay on page.
Clear, Short Paragraphs That Create a Journey
Structure your argument in short, clear, and easily digestible paragraphs. One topic per paragraph. Don’t overwhelm or confuse the reader. Each paragraph should have order to it and take the reader on a journey where they are wanting to find out more. By the end of the page they should be left without questions.
Make It Logical But Entertaining
Use lists to aid reader to digest and analyse info easily. Add images / graphics that are visually stimulating but also relatable and help the reader to visualise what it would be like if they purchased the product and solved their problem.
Proof of Authority and Trust Building
Provide assurance that you are qualified to be selling the product and have credentials to warrant the cost of the product. In addition, you have had success with real people. Show public praise.
Call to Actions Throughout The Page
Direct people to what you want them to do at numerous points. CTAs should direct people to different stages of the buying cycle in your offer funnel – there should be no guessing by the audience. Provide an option for them to act now or act later so you capture both types of buyers.
Choose Imagery The Sets The Mood
The visual elements on the page (photos, graphics, colours, fonts, elements etc) should convey the feeling you want the audience to experience. E.g. If you are promoting a retreat it should feel relaxed. If you are selling a concert it should have energy. Treat images and videos like visual paragraphs that capture people scroll through text without reading it. Should convey a similar message to the text.
Direct The Audience
Structure the page in the order of the journey you want the audience to go on. Think of the SAO method as you are writing.
- Situation – what situation are they in? (i.e. “I know you are frustrated because… / “You are on this page because you want to…”)
- Action – what is the action they need to take? (i.e. “By doing this program you will …”)
- Outcome – what is the positive situation they will achieve by doing taking the required action? (i.e. “Once you have done x you will be able to achieve …”)