When it comes to web design whitespace is a really important concept, but it’s also a concept that’s lost on many marketers. Marketers tend to see open space and immediately want to fill it with another call-to-action, value proposition, or offer. Part of this desire to occupy every possible space comes from an internal motivation to want as many opportunities for testing as possible and the rest of this desire is often imposed on marketers by their superiors to prove ROI across multiple goals. But whitespace can actually help marketers succeed by doing the following crucial things:
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Responsive web design has continued to grow in popularity since its initial development in late 2010. In fact, it’s so popular now that over the past few years it seems as though responsive web design has become synonymous with web design.
I can’t tell you the last time that I pitched web work to a client without talking about responsive web design and that’s for a good reason - it’s currently the best option for having a cohesive desktop and mobile web presence. Social proof, also known as social influence, is a phenomenon whereby people are persuaded to take certain actions based on the actions of their peers. Businesspeople know how powerful social proof is in marketing – things like positive reviews, likes and shares encourage users to buy, sign-up, download and take any number of other conversion actions. A Wall Street Journal article explains,
“Studies dating back at least three decades clearly show the power of social norms. We tend to ascribe our actions to more high-minded motives, or to practical concerns about money. But at its core, our behavior often boils down to that old mantra: Monkey see, monkey do.” In fact, social proof is so persuasive that a study done in San Marcos, California found that people were more likely to change their energy usage habits when told that their neighbors were already conserving energy than when they were told that they could save significant money on their monthly utility bill. Websites are, oddly, a bit like babies. Business owners work hard to get ready for their arrival, spend sleepless nights worrying about their future, often feel ill-equipped or prepared to deal with issues that they may encounter, take incredible pride in their progress and are closely tied emotionally to their success. These parallels may explain why every parent thinks their baby is beautiful and every website owner thinks their website is amazing.
The reality of the matter, though, is that many websites lack important information/key functionality/user-friendly elements and fall short on overall aesthetics. These shortcomings can hinder business goals and future growth. This is why I feel like I owe it to clients and colleagues to be honest with them regarding their websites if I notice that there are areas where the sites may be falling short. As the owner of an internet marketing company, I sometimes come across situations where all of the best marketing efforts in the world are not going to make a difference because the website we’re being asked to optimize just will not convert traffic into leads or buyers. It is in these situations where I basically have to tell a business owner that his/her baby is ugly. The holidays are a busy time for business owners but in the rush to get your inventory set and your marketing ready, it’s important not to forget about your web design. Your design is the first thing that visitors will notice when they arrive on your site, which means that it needs to look great and sell your products. You can appeal to shoppers and enhance their shopping experience using these tips: |
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