THE BIGGEST WEB DESIGN MISTAKE AND (HOW TO FIX IT)
Most people think that web design is all about making a site look pretty, and yes, that’s important, but it is definitely not the whole picture. You might be surprised to hear that most of what I do as a web designer has nothing to do with colors, or fonts, or pretty icons.
The biggest mistake I see over and over, and at every level of web design, is not having a clear STRATEGY behind the design.
What does that mean? First, let’s look at a couple of common misconceptions about web design, and then I’ll break down my web design strategy that I use with all of my clients.
Misconception #1: Once the site goes live, people will come flocking to it with little to no effort. As much as I wish that one were true, it’s simply not. That’s why you have to use marketing strategies such as SEO, social media, and Pinterest marketing in tandem with an effective website strategy.
Misconception #2: Good design is only about the visual aspects, such as the perfect font, images, and buttons. While those things are important in how the overall brand is communicated, they are actually not the most important aspect of good web design.
The most important aspect of good web design, instead, is based on having a clear client journey for each page as well as the website as a whole and then clear calls to action to take the client through that journey.
A solid web design strategy addresses those two misconceptions head-on and is based on ideal client ATTRACTION and CONVERSION. In other words, you have to get the right people to your site and you have to make sure they know what to do (and do it!) once they are on the site.
So, how do I do that?
Well, I’m glad you asked!
ATTRACTION
In order to attract ideal clients to your site, you first have to know who your ideal client is! That may sound obvious, but I can’t tell you how many people skip this step or don’t think it’s that important. It’s important!
Here are my two biggest tips when it comes to ideal client work:
Get clear. Be sure YOU are super clear on who you serve and how you serve them. Ask yourself these questions: What is your client/target audience’s most basic problem, that you have the solution for? And how is YOUR solution different or unique to other service professionals or coaches who have the same ideal client?
Do market research. Get to know your ideal clients. Not in a creepy, “I want to take your money way,” but in a genuine, “what makes you tick” way. Here are a few questions to get you started. Send out a quick survey to your email list or post in a Facebook group where your ideal client hangs out. Or even better, get on the phone with them to have a conversation.
How do you define yourself? (mom, yoga teacher, entrepreneur, etc.
What do you love to do in your free time?
What is one thing you love about your life right now?
What is one thing you’d like to change in your life right now?
What is challenging for you right now?
What are 3 things you desire most in life right now? Why?
The next crucial step in attracting the right people to your site is branding identity.
Brand identity is the visual representation of your brand, and it HAS to speak to your ideal client to convey what you want it to.
Finally, once you have your ideal client clarity and a brand identity that speaks to her, you are ready to utilize marketing strategies to get clients to your site.
I won’t go into too much detail with those specific strategies in this article, but see how these strategies fit into the puzzle, here is a quick overview of the marketing strategies that I use and recommend.
SEO (search engine optimization) is one of the best tools to get people to your site who are already searching for what you have to offer. Once implemented, it can work behind the scenes for you as a traffic driver.
Social Media works in tandem with your website to build a trust factor to stay in front of your client’s mind, but it’s not enough on its own. Again, social media is a traffic driver with the ultimate goal to get people to your website.
CONVERSION
Once you have attracted a client to your website, what do you want them to do? That is the overarching question that I guide my clients through when designing custom websites, and my pre-designed templates are built with this in mind as well.
A solid client conversion strategy from a design standpoint is composed of three aspects.
Have clear goals. It’s important to have clear goals for the site as a whole as well as on each page of the site. For coaches, I typically recommend having a free offer that you give away in exchange for your email address (often called a lead magnet or opt-in), as well as a clear call to action to kick-off your coaching process. This can be a discovery call (booked with an online calendar scheduling tool) or a direct booking process to a coaching offer.
Clear calls to action. Once you determine what you want your client to do, you want to make it easy for them to do it. They should know exactly how to book a call, or download a freebie, or purchase a product, and they should be able to do it quickly.
Take your users on a journey. This includes a clear and streamlined navigation bar. The navigation bar is not a place to get cute. Instead, you want to make it easy for the user to find what they are looking for. Each page should guide the user to the next, telling the story of who you are, who you serve, and the transformation you provide.
Ideally, your client will come to the site, follow the client journey, and book a call with you. But, if they are not ready to take that step, they will have signed up for your free gift, so that you have captured their email address. Then, you can nurture the relationship and make an offer to help them once they are ready. A website is a huge piece of the client-getting puzzle and when done right, it can work hard on your behalf to attract and convert clients.
Hi! I’m Jannan
I’m Jannan Poppen. I help small businesses bring their vision to life through brand and web design so they can create the impact and income they desire.