A common problem with website layout and page hierarchies is that some clients feel all elements are important and can’t decide what should stand out and what should take second place in the hierarchies. Every element on your page should not fight to be the focus of the webpage. Leaving some information (content and images) for other pages such as the About Page, or Services Page, will offer a balancing effect and entice the viewer to read more while at the same time will offer a more balanced approach to the design and layout.
As you make one element dominant, the other elements become less dominant. The message you are seeking to deliver will determine which element to show off prominently and which elements should be left to another page or placed below the main feature. This will keep the viewer interested but not confused. All visual elements should be informative and consistent throughout the site.
Making the best use of “Call To Action Elements” and “Bright Colors.”
First time viewers to the site stay for only a few seconds. Therefore using more prominent elements (call to action elements and banner ads) using color and graphics carry more visual weight. Choose words for the banner such as Free Quote, Register Here, or Buy Now. (see sample pic here). The bright colors and graphics catch the eye immediately and entice the visitor to take an action thus improving the conversion rate for the website.
How Important is Page Content and Font Choice?
Page content should be simple black or gray text and the font should be universal and readable to all browser platforms. Content should be high quality and full of great information. Text presented in bulleted form is read more than in paragraph format only. For increased traffic and interest to the site, content should be original, contain no duplicate text from page to page and no plagiarism allowed. Building the content through blog postings will elevate your site to one of authority over time. Don’t leave out the “privacy” page when planning the page hierarchy. Search engines will look for the Privacy and Terms of Use page to determine site authenticity. Less is best when creating content for the site. One informative paragraph explaining your product and/or service and a few bullets will bring the best results. Content heavy pages are not as successful as content well thought out and kept to a minimum.
Hiring a Professional Content Writer:
Creating high quality content for each page of the site will serve to meet the correct standards for grammar, sentence structure and punctuation. It takes time to research, brain-storm and come up with marketable content which will be competitive with today’s market of ideas. Unless you have the free time it takes to devote to this creative endeavor, it is best to hire a professional. Hiring a professional content writer who has experience studying and mastering current search engine methods will make the site more user-friendly to site visitors while at the same time gain popularity with search engines as they choose high quality content to index. The money spent to develop high quality content is money well-spent. This will increase the overall ROI (Return On Investment) for your new website. It should never be overlooked as you plan for your site budgetary considerations.
Thanks for stopping by and we hope all of you will have a “sweet” Valentines Day ahead.
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Jean Holland-Rose
Chief Creative Officer and SEO Professional
