If your business operates online, certain web design choices can make or break the overall success of your web site. Although a lot of people prefer a “pretty” or visually compelling web site, there is a lot to be said for simplicity in many cases. This is because there are a number of important factors which must work together in order to convert first-time site visitors into long-term customers of your business.

From a marketing perspective, there are three important factors you want to consider before beginning any web design project. These include:

1.    The Web Site’s Major Purpose. Before a site is designed, it is important to define what it is supposed to do. A lot of businesses seem to skip this step and instead forge ahead simply because they’ve been told they need an online presence. Although they most likely do, addressing this issue first could lead to a much more successful outcome for them. Developing a clear understanding of what the site is meant to do (i.e., sell products or capture visitor contact information) increases the likelihood that the site will perform as intended. At the end of the day, there is no point in having a great-looking web site if it doesn’t add directly to your bottom line.

2.    The Graphic Elements. These essential components of effective web design add visual appeal and interest to your site. They include images, font types, color selections and other style choices that determine how the site “looks.” What makes these features so important is that they are what first captures your visitors’ attention (or not) and pulls them into your site (or not). Without a pleasing graphic presentation, it is very difficult to get web surfers interested enough in your site to stick around for a while. Think about it. How many times have you landed on a blinking, flashing, or otherwise visually chaotic web page and scrambled for the back button as fast as possible?

3.    The Web Copy or Content. Of course, these are the words found on your web site. Keep in mind, web copy and content are two different things: web copy is created in order to get your prospect to actually do something through a clearly defined call-to-action. Well-written web copy is compelling and spells out exactly what you want your prospects to do next, whether it is to pick up the phone, subscribe to your mailing list or submit a contact form. On the other hand, web content is generally informative in nature and adds value to your site by entertaining or educating visitors to your site.

The key to achieving strong conversion rates with your web site is to make sure that these 3 factors work in harmony with one another. Of course, you’ll want to introduce web copy that is aligned with your site’s (or individual web page) primary purpose. You’ll also want to make sure that the graphic elements don’t compete with or conflict with either the overall objective behind the site or the copy conveying that message. For best results, you’ll need to get all three pulling together in the same direction.

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