The Web Design Circle of Trust: Using Content and Design to Increase Conversions

@woodstreetweb@jonmikelbailey

The Web Design Circle of TrustUsing Content and Design to Increase Conversions

http://www.twitter.com/woodstreetweb


http://www.twitter.com/jonmikelbailey


Building Your Online Circle of TrustTo build this trust you need to understand…

• What code matters to Google• How design and user experience (UX) affect SEO• Why mobile matters so dang much!• How to keep your website FRESH!

Let’s take a look….





Which code matters?TITLE TAG

• Unique title tag that describes page content. • These signal what the page is about.• 55 characters seems to be about the average.

These aren’t silver bullets, but they do matter to Google.





Which code matters?HEADING TAGS (H1, H2, H3)

These tags work as indicators of context:

• What is this page about? H1• What is this section about? H2, H3, H4

Your webmaster can preset these for you.

Use keywords but make sure it makes sense to the reader.





Which code matters?META DESCRIPTIONS

• No effect on ranking but can be your pitch. • Describes the page to encourage a click.• With a CMS, you can easily manage these.

A search for Italian Restaurants in Google.

Other code like ALT tags and link titles can help. Check schema.org for more.





What is User Experience?My friend Joe Natoli from GiveGoodUX.com gave me this …

"UX isn't just about users; it's really a value loop in three parts:

1.The person using the website has to perceive that it’s valuable to them.2.That perception has to be validated through use. Proof equals trust, which

means they use and/or purchase.3.When both things happen, value comes back to the business/creator:

increased market share, customer loyalty, money made or money saved.” Help visitors take the first step.

In other words, good UX means good ROI, happy clients, better traffic …





Lead Them!KISSmetrics* says effective UX means you:

1.Help visitors take the first step.2.Avoid information overload.3.Lead the way for your customers.4.Watch your visitors.

Good UX reduces bounce rate and improves time on site.

Don’t confuse them; lead them!





Is it clear what this site wants you to do??





UX and The Client “Journey”What story are you telling?… • Each page is a chapter in this story.• Do pages have a clear beginning and end?• Does it all tie together?

A client can land on any page from Google…

• Are they confused when they get there?• Does each page contain something useful?• Is there a meaningful call to action?

Get inside their head; understand and align with their journey.Source – wikipedia.org





Anticipate Their “Journey” with an “F”

• Western users will scan in an “F” pattern• Place important elements in this shape• Anticipate their needs page by page• Action is “suggested”• Or try a heatmap like Crazy Egg

Site purpose is dictated by its design.





People love them some them!Is there a sense of belonging? • Are you encouraging engagement? • Do you ask for their opinion?• Special access to gated content?

Are you giving them cool fuel?

• Content they can use to build up their influence• Facts, analysis, infographics they can use

Turn your audience into influencers, give them utility content!

Source – makeameme.org





Utility ContentContent your audience devours…

• How-to videos• Thought provoking posts• Tools, references, studies• Problem solving content• Timely and up-to-date content

Utility content makes you a hero to your clients!





Speed!Are they getting what they need quickly???

• Images – optimize images• JavaScript – avoid bloated script• CSS – use a clean framework like Bootstrap• PageSpeed Insights – test your site speed• Hosting – don’t skimp on hosting

Slow speed kills websites, hurt rankings, and erodes trust.





Do they stay or do they bounce???Design and UX can keep them engaged and clicking.

What they do on your site can affect SEO…

• Bounce rate – One page and out. • This shows a low value for that page.

• Time on site – Or do they stick around?• The more time, the better.

Give them a reason to stay awhile!





Map it out!Flowcharts and wireframes can make all the difference...

Your website should have a natural flow with consistent design.





What about Tablets, Mobile Devices?

Mobilegeddon anyone?!?





What about Tablets, Mobile Devices?How do you meet the needs of your mobile audience?

Responsive Design

A website that works well on multiple device typesResponsive Content

Content with a strong lead, bulleted lists, scan-ability.

Make sure your site works for all devices, including mobile!





Tablet and mobile view of Wood Street





Is Your Website Fresh?How much of your site do you control?…

• Do you have a CMS, like WordPress?• Can you change calls to action?• Can you change navigation?• Can you keep it interesting?• Can you add good content often?

Your site’s design is only as good as the content it contains!

Make sure you can control that content to keep the site fresh!

Source: RollingStone.com





Control???Can you update all of your site?

• Headers• Calls to action• Images• Offers• Testimonials• Navigation

You need to control it all!!!





Circle of TrustAll of this creates a circle of activity…

• Content and code that gets you found. • Good UX and utility content that delivers value. • Value that builds engagement and trust!• Trust that leads to shares, links, and a following!

This is a circle of trust. Make sure you stay in it!





Questions???www.woodst.com/design-seo - slides and resources

Suggested resources:

• www.woodst.com/journal• www.designdepot.com• www.uxdesign.com• www.givegoodux.com• www.kissmetrics.com• www.uxbooth.com

Contact me/us:

• https://www.woodst.com/• [email protected]• @woodstreetweb• @jonmikelbailey• Facebook.com/woodstreetweb• 301.668.5006 x101




http://www.woodst.com/design-seo

https://www.woodst.com/journal/

http://www.designdepot.com/

http://uxdesign.com/

http://www.givegoodux.com/

http://www.kissmetrics.com/

http://www.uxbooth.com/

https://www.woodst.com/




http://www.facebook.com/woodstreetweb

http://www.facebook.com/woodstreetweb

The Web Design Circle of Trust: Using Content and Design to Increase Conversions

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