"Web design is an ever-evolving process that requires a lot of insider experience and patience," a representative from Logix9.com says. "Designing quality websites isn't out of the realm of possibility, however. There are a lot of tricks of the trade we try to train our students in to help them make quality websites. These include content creation, social media marketing, design features, search engine optimization, and how to match a business's intent with the design."
According to a recent study reported on GIGAOM, good website designs often struggle with avoidable obstacles. The study focused on retirement and investment websites and investigated what led to high bounce rates, or the frequency of how many users close a site without converting. Conversions are the opposite of bounces, or when a site visitor performs an action like signing up for a newsletter, purchasing a product, or reading an article. Conversations and communicating a message are what websites are before, but recent data from Change Sciences Group shows reasons why the best sites are still experiencing high bounce rates.
One reason cited by the report suggests that "busy" sites, where too much is going on, accounts for 14 percent of a banking websites bounce rate. For brokerages, busy designs increase bounce rates by more than 30 percent. Another reason sites suffer is when there is too much text, too little direction.
"When a person visits a site, he or she should be able to tell what the purpose of the site is," Logix9.com says. "If you are designing an online storefront, for example, make sure it is clear that you are indeed a store where people can purchase products. Too many words, links, navigation bars, and images flood sites. Keep it sleek, keep it simple."
People often navigate away from websites because they know there are dozens of similar sites they could visit. Unorganized pages also contribute to high bounce rates; up to 23 percent of a brokerage site's bounce rate. Site visitors should have easy access to the entire site and know what they are looking at in a matter of seconds.
Another design feature that limits conversions is too much scrolling, an easily over-looked aspect according to the article. A lot of site visitors are impatient, and scrolling through hundreds of words, promotional images, and links eats away at their time. Other commonalities between high bounce rates in websites include too many steps, difficult navigation, unclear information, not enough information, and too much clicking. Logix9.com recommends companies to hire professional developers to counter these problems.
ABOUT:
Logix9.com is a Web-based educational resource for professionals to learn how to design websites and market online. Its cutting-edge, modernized curriculums allow students to learn quickly and efficiently. The site also incorporates cutting-edge technology that students will apply to real-world situations.
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