On websites, as in life, first impressions count. If your website design is drab and ordinary, customers will go elsewhere. However, if the design is appealing and inviting, they will naturally flock to your business. Here are five ways to tweak your website design to improve traffic. #1 Web optimisation While not a new trend, optimisation for mobile devices is vital in increasing customer numbers. The key reason for this is Google gives preference to websites optimised for mobile devices. And, those which are not optimised are given a much lower search ranking. So, not only will more people be able to see your site, but it will also appear higher in their search results. #2 Choose appropriate colours and fonts Many business owners make the mistake of neglecting colour and font selection. However, there are guidelines to help increase viewership numbers. Some of these include: •Use a complementary colour scheme that avoids dark tones •Only use dark colours when you cannot avoid it, and; •Present information in an easily readable font (i.e. Sans Serif, etc.) #3 Smooth menu navigation When creating your site’s menu, ensure it is readily identifiable and easy to navigate. Generally, a dropdown menu (including options like blogs, contact info, FAQs, upcoming events and more), should be located on the top or the top left. Also, your menu should simple to navigate, clear and direct. This encourages visitors to stay on your site longer and to make purchases. #4 Adopt a minimalist approach to website design When looking for a particular product or service, customers do not want to wade through endless streams of information. To distinguish yourself from competitors, provide the essential information in the most direct way. This may mean just a few lines of text on each page or even just a few images. Make a strong first impression with uncluttered pages and plenty of white space. #5 Provide useful content Regularly updated, relevant content scores very highly in search engine rankings. Do a quick search, and you’ll find that Google favours sites with plenty of up-to-date, useful content for consumers. Conversely, inaccurate or sparsely updated content is ignored. So, to increase visitor numbers, invest in the creation of quality, informative content created for your target audience. For more website design tips, simply call or email the experts at MK2 today.