Clarity is essential. Users are highly likely to give up on a site rather than try to discern meaning. Respect the user’s time. Make content easy to understand to keep users from leaving your site. Calls-to-action should be short and to the point. Graphics should be meaningful and help guide the user. Headlines should immediately communicate the company’s value. Remember: users often leave sites after 10 seconds, so make that time count by giving them the most important information in a clear, digestible format. Pay special attention to signup forms. Users often give up or leave a site if they see long forms with lots of fields to fill in. Once you’ve gotten the user to the point of signing up, the last thing you want them to do is give up during the signup process because your form is too much work to fill out. Conversion experts agree that simpler forms tend to produce better conversion rates. So keep your forms limited to as few fields as possible and only ask for information that’s completely essential. Your customers will thank you!

First impressions are formed in seconds and have a big influence on a customer’s overall opinion of your website and company. You have to communicate your message right off the bat. Take time to understand your unique value proposition. What makes your company special? Why should customers buy from you over other competitors in the market? Think through what you offer that customers will think is great and state it upfront, loud and clear. Visitors to your site should be able to look at your home or landing page and immediately understand the benefits of doing business with you. Another big part of a customer’s first impression is your headline. Your headline should be clearly written and give customers an understanding of your value. For example, having your headline read, “Order now!” doesn’t give your customer any idea of your value. Having it read instead, “Free shipping on all orders, order now!” gives the customer a clear idea of the value they gain from shopping through your website.

Good websites can make a world of difference in a company’s business performance. With a unique, informative and user-friendly website, you can boost customer engagement and encourage new business.