Have you been working for a long time to build the perfect website but you still can’t figure out why your website doesn’t convert? It’s a hard pill to swallow. After all, your website is a thing of beauty in your eyes. However, you’ve gone half a year without a sale. Hmm. What happened?
Actually, there are many reasons for this phenomenon. It’s a lot like trying to write a hit song. It’s hard to predict the patterns of the listener. By the same token, it’s difficult to predict the patterns of the user. However, there are some common web design errors that could be preventing your website from making conversions. So, stop tweaking the graphics on your website and think about these five causes for high bounce rates on websites.
Lack of Hooks
Sometime the reason a website won’t convert is quite simple. You must give people an easy opportunity to let you know that they are interested. If you’re not doing, how with they ever make a purchase from you? In many cases, they won’t make a purchase from you on the first visit, but giving them an opportunity to sign up for your newsletter is something they can commit to. With this, they’ll be more likely to remember your company when the time comes for them to make a purchase.
A lead generation sheet that invites users to give you some information should be placed above the fold. This refers to a newspaper figure of speech that means on the top of the front page. In web terms, it means somewhere toward the top of the front page. Some websites have a hard time converting because of this mistake. Don’t allow your business to make it, too.
Ugly Graphics
1998 was a good year for French Wine, but it was a terrible year for web design. If that is when you designed your website, it likely hasn’t aged well. One of the biggest reasons a website doesn’t convert is because of poor design. A website that looks like it was designed by an amateur does not reflect favorably on the business it represents. However, a website that functions well and looks like it was designed by professionals can do much to build the authority of your business within its field.
You might need to completely do away with your current website and start from scratch. It may be painful to think about, but consider it like moving to a bigger, better house. Once you’ve transitioned to the new website, you’ll be happy when you see your conversion rate improve.
Navigation That Doesn’t Make Sense
One of the reasons for a high bounce rate on websites is that it’s difficult to navigate. Ask yourself how customers use your site? Do they bounce after only a few clicks? Your problem might be navigation. Sometimes having multiple navigation bars or buttons with confusing labels can cause people to get the heck out of dodge.
An easy way to test your website’s usability is to visit it from several different platforms. Spend some time trying to navigate through it while on a smartphone, a laptop or on a tablet device. Chances are you’ll see some room for improvement. You might even see some room for simplification, which is one of the best techniques for improving a website’s usability. Don’t give people an opportunity to be distracted.
No Direction
When people land on your homepage, what do they do next? Do you have clear instructions for them? See, one of the best things you can do is have a call to action toward the top of the home page on your website. Make sure it’s above the fold (high up on the front page).
Chicken Scratch Typography
It’s a simple fact of life that as people get older, their eyesight begins to wear out. Because of this, the type on a lot of websites can be difficult to read. This can be a problem for your business, especially considering that a large number of senior citizens (more than half, and the number continues to grow) are on the web. For this reason, you might consider switching to a 16-point font.
