Sure, a good-looking website is essential, as good design will help bolster the website's attractiveness and more. However, there is a difference between a website that just looks good and a website that looks good and performs well! Performance and aesthetics are not the same, and a balance of the two is vital if a website is to be successful.
That said, is your website prioritizing form over function? Here are the signs that it is:
Sign 1. Visitors Leave Quickly
If your website design is beautiful or gorgeous, but the pages don't load in a timely fashion, then you have a problem. Visitors want to be able to load a page in less than three seconds, and they want the page to load quickly, regardless of what device they are using. If they leave quickly, chances are that your website is loading too slowly!
A good way to test how your website is performing is by using tools such as Google Speed. This free tool checks your website's load times and can even create a full report detailing why your website is slow. Google Speed will report on your page size, page load time, number of external requests, number of parameters and more.
Sign 2. The Traffic Isn't Converting
If your website looks great, but visitors aren't converting, then you have a problem. Many of the most popular websites, such as Facebook and Google, require users to sign up before they can access certain features. To sign up, users need to provide their email address.
However, if you struggle to convert visitors into sign-ups, you are losing out on valuable data. In addition, if you are collecting email addresses but not real information, it is not performing as well as possible.
Sign 3. There Are No Call-To-Actions
If your website is not providing visitors with a clear call to action or a reason to stay on the page, then you have a problem. One of the best ways to ensure that a website is performing well is to provide visitors with a clear and concise call to action.
This might not seem like a big deal, but it is actually one of the most important factors that drive conversions. A call to action allows a visitor to see what the company is offering and what they can do to help support the company. Some of the most common calls to action include:
Contact Us
Download Now
Sign Up
Shop Now
Watch Video
Whatever you decide to use, be sure that a call to action is included on every single page of your website.
