Website Design Optimization

Full Training for Local Service Businesses

Approximate time to implement (for beginners): 1-2 days

Note 1: To get the point across easier, I will use a fictitious business called ''ABC Company'' when showing examples.

Note 2: These tips can apply to any service business, large or small or in any industry (construction, beauty, restaurant, finance, etc)

Better website design can lead to more revenue

Better designed website = better user experience on website = higher conversion rates for appointments/sales

What does Optimizing a Websites Design Entail:

Optimizing the design of a website refers to improving all the visual and ''emotional'' aspects of your website to keep visitors more engaged and more likely to purchase from you.

How can it Affect my Business?

By using psychological tactics and proven methods, you will be able to improve the design of your website in a way that makes it easier for visitors to navigate your site, and makes it more likely that visitors will purchase from your site.

Improving it can do the following for your business:

• Improve conversion rates on your site (indirectly)

• Better communicate ideas on website (less confused phone calls)

• Long term returns by building up brand and emotion associated with your business

Here is the math behind improving the conversion rate of your website by around 50%.

Improving the conversion rate of a website by 50% is not atypical if you optimize every aspect of it. In some cases, under optimized businesses have been able to multiply their conversion rate 3x-10x.

Since a website is the main interaction a client has with your business online, it is only normal that improving it will have tremendous effect on your business.

This document will share exactly how you can do that for your own service business, or other people's businesses (if you are an agency owner)

Part 1: Introduction to Website Design Optimization

What is Website Design Optimization

Website design optimization is the action of optimizing a websites feel/branding. By playing with colors, textures, patters and any other visual cues, we try to portray to the website visitors that our business is one they can trust and that is ''legitimate''. this part of optimizing a website plays more on the emotional side of human psychology than website structure, which plays more on the rational.

Why Should you Optimize Website Design

1. Increase Sales: Better looking/more ''legit'' looking website, tends to lead to more sales.

2. Reduce Confusion: A properly designed website does not only used to increase conversion rates, but actually to help the visitor navigate your website with easy. A clunky, unordered website fatigues the visitors and increase their confusion.

3. Improve Search Engine Rankings: Better designed site, usually means higher retention rate on site (amount of time people spend on website). This is an indicator Google tracks, which then means that if it gets better, Google will want to rank you higher.

4. Consistent Branding: People might of seen your business in real life and then decided to visit your site. If your branding on real life assets (trucks, flyers, building, etc.) isn't consistent, it might lead the client to question your business on an unconscious level, reducing the odds they will contact you or buy from you.

In short, optimizing your website's design is a great, free (unless you hire it out) way to improve conversion rates and improve emotion associated with your business. Which therefore can lead to making more money.

Part 1.2: Types of Optimization

On a website, every aspect of it is optimizable. We will be discussing all optimizations, from CTA's, VSL's, Testimonials and more

Main Optimizations

Brief summary on the main optimizations possible

CTA's

What are they:

CTA's (Call to Actions) are the buttons people will see across your website, that you want them to click. Buttons that lead to contact page, form, phone number, etc.

Why is it important:

It is THE most important part of your website. It is the portal by which visitors go from your website, to contacting you. Optimizing it is first on the list. Easiest to improve, highest to impact.

VSL's

What is it: 

VSL's (Video Sales Letter) is a video usually located at the top of your website built with the intent of answering all the main objections clients usually has.

Why is it important:

Although not used much, it has been shown again and again to produce outstanding results. If a picture is worth 1000 words, then a video is worth 1000 pictures. Nothing engages a visitor more on a website than a video.

Testimonials

What are they:

Testimonials are the text, images or videos sent in by customers that you can use to show visitors on your site.

Why is it important:

Testimonials are a great way to do a few things: show that people like your service, show that people trust you, show that you are a ''legitimate'' business. Having testimonials (best are video) is a crucial aspect to converting on a website, especially for high ticket services.

Considerations that apply to all aspects of website design optimizations:

• Consistent Branding: Colors, textures, patterns, should all be consistent across site, and preferably match your business in real life.

• Mobile Optimization: All theses optimizations need to be applicable for all devices. More then 80% of traffic is on mobile, and so optimizing for mobile first and then desktop is the way to go.

• Emotions: Designing a website relies heavily on doing what looks and feels good. Humans are not robots, and a website needs to reflect that by using simpler language, colors, icons and all sorts of visual techniques.

  
  

Part 2: Call to Actions (CTA's)

Here are a few strategies on how to optimize the CTA's across your website

Call to Actions (CTA's)

CTA's are the buttons people would press to get in contact with you or take any action you want them to take. Buttons like ''contact us'' ''call us'' ''get directions'' are across service business website, and are THE most important part of a website. To get people to click them is the sole purpose of a website, which means that optimizing them is the greatest ROI activity on a website.

Why is CTA Optimization Important?

1. Don't click, don't buy: If you CTA is too small, too dull in color, not repeated enough across you site, it will not convert. You want your CTA to be as visible as possible, so people know what to press to get in touch with you.

2. Directing Actions: Different CTA'S have different purposes. And using them optimally is a great way to direct your website visitors actions to go where you want them to go.

How to Optimize the CTA's

Here is all the different aspects of a CTA and how to improve all of them step by step.

1. Text:

   1. Best to use actionable words inviting visitors to click. Use ''Your'' or no possessive determiners as they tend to perform better then ''My'' (ex: ''Get your free quote'' instead of ''Get my free quote'')

   2. Use an offer, instead of a basic CTA (ex: ''Get your free quote'' instead ''Call now''). Much more enticing and is more valuable to client as an offer.

2. Color:

   1. Color that stands out the most from the background

   2. Red seems to be the color that performs best. Test to see if it makes sense with the rest of your site.

3. Size:

   1. Bigger usually is better. Make it big enough so no one can miss it, but not too big that it is an eye sore.

4. Animation:

   1. Can use slight 'jiggling'' animation after 5-10 seconds of someone landing on your page. Attracts their attention to the button. Light animations suffice.

   2. Can make it expand and raise slightly when hovered.

5. Shadow:

   1. Can include slight shadow to make button stand out more and look more like a button would in real life.

6. Icon/Illustration:

   1. Can include ''arrow'' or ''clicking finger'' on CTA to visually communicate it is a button to click. Amazon does this well.

7. Under CTA:

   1. Can include reviews and ratings under CTA

   2. Can include short description of offer or guarantee under CTA

8. Shape:

   1. CTA shape is best to be rectangular with rounded corners, imitating real life buttons as much as possible.

9. Placement:

   1. CTA is best to be visible on every slide on every page. Usually converts better when a CTA is visible at all times

10. Sticky CTA:

    1. Can have CTA stick to page, meaning it will follow the visitor the whole time on the website. Increasing the chances he will click it.

Extra Tip

1. If you have a CTA with a background image of a person, make sure that person is looking at the CTA to increase conversions.

Applicable across site:

CTA's: Across the page you want to sprinkle your call to actions. The worst thing that could happen is that a non-technical person sees your website and cannot find the button to call you. A good rule of thumb is to always have a CTA visible for every scroll of a page.

Although these modifications seem trivial, they are not. A properly optimized CTA can easily boost conversion rates by 20% up to even 200%. It is so easy to change, and causes such a tremendous effect. A number one priority for any website, service or e-commerce.

Part 3: Video Sales Letters (VSL's)

Here are a few strategies on how to optimize your main page VSL (if applicable)

Video Sales Letter (VSL's)

A video sales letter is the video that shows up on the main page of your website. It is the first video people see when they enter your site, and it a modern technique to attract people to stay on your site and consume your content longer. If an image is worth a thousand words, then a VSL is worth a thousand images.

Why is CTA Optimization Important?

1. Increase Content Consumption: Generally, if someone spends more time on your site, it usually means they are more likely to buy. Having a video is a great way to keep them engaged. Will show them how and what you do in a more real and way more engaging way then typical images or text we see on the average website.

2. Increase Conversion Rates: A proper VSL serves as a soft sales pitch to potential clients. Showing they what and how you do things, and what they can expect. It is not only a great way to increase conversion rates on site but also reduce the amount of confusion a visitor might have about your business/service.

3. Differentiate from Competition: Since it has not been widely adopt yet, it is a great way to distinguish yourself from your competition. If you a a proper VSL showing your business, what and how you do it, it doesn't come as a surprise that your business would look better than your competitor who only has text and stock images on his.

4. Communicate Better: It is a lot easier to convince someone to watch a 2min video then to read a 2min text. Easier communication, better retention.

How to Optimize the VSL's

Here is all the different aspects of a VSL and how to improve all of them step by step.

1. Video Structure:

   1. In VSL address all common questions customers have about your service in a conversational tone.

   2. Can use face and voice of brand owner with a background video of services offered.

2. Video Content:

   1. 2-5min clip expressing service, benefits and offers in detail.

   2. Can answer all objections, from most common to least common as your content. Basically a sales Q&A.

3. Thumbnail:

   1. Edited to entice clicks, utilizing modern editing, vibrant colors and face looking at camera.

4. No Auto-play:

   1. Best not have VSL on auto-play as it slows down website. Best to have it embedded into site so it plays within it and prevents visitors from having to leave site to view video.

Extra Tip

1. Using the face and voice of the owner personalizes the video and leads to consumers feeling like they can trust your business more i.e. leading to more sales.

Having a properly optimized and edited video might take 1 hour to prepare, ne hour to film and one hour to edit. A 3 hour process for a typically large boost in conversions.

Part 4: Testimonials

Here are a few strategies on how to optimize your testimonials on website

Testimonial Optimization

Optimizing your testimonials on site is a crucial aspect of any service business. Testimonials are a great way to show people you know what you are doing and have proof that you do it right. Although most people trust third party review sites more (GMB, Yelp, etc), having reviews shown on website is extra assurance for your customer that you are ''legit''.

Why is optimizing testimonials important?

1. Boost Conversions: Typically we see higher conversion rates for having testimonials vs not having any. Especially for high ticket services.

2. Improves Brand Trust: For a future customer, knowing that you did work for other people, and have done it well, is a great insurance that you will most likely do the same for them. Will increase their trust in your business, making it easier to sell them and even upsell them from the get go.

How to Structure your Testimonials Optimally

We found that natural video testimonials work best (filmed on a phone very casually), followed by image testimonials followed by text testimonials.

1. Video Testimonials : Video testimonials are best because they are harder to fake. People trust them more and also can make them think ''wow, if people leave video testimonials, must mean they really loved the service they received''.

   1. Use captions in video testimonials so people can read what is said (in case they can turn up volume at that moment)

   2. More the merrier. 10 testimonials is better than 5, and 1000 is better than 500. Every extra review you have is extra proof that you are someone to be trusted.

   3. Testimonials should be shown from most common service done to least common service done. If you are a barbershop, showing reviews of women's haircuts you did once that year will not represent your business as whole and will confuse clients.

   4. Show high quality testimonials first. Either show people/businesses you've helped that have most authority (ex: influencers, large companies, models), or people/businesses you've helped the most (ex: biggest hair transformations, most beautiful home remodel, etc.)

2. Live Review Pop Ups: Live review pop ups are a great strategy used in ecommerce stores but not used enough for service business. These are reviews that pop up ''live'', showing people that you are currently in business as well as show that people like your service, even to this day.

   1. Best to show only 4.5-5 star reviews

   2. Show most recent reviews to show you are still in business

   3. Show profile pictures on reviews to make them more ''legitimate''

   4. Show service you offered

3. Third Party Testimonials: All testimonials that appear on third party sites. You can create a thin banner under your video reviews, showing the ''rating'' and ''amount of reviews you've got on other sites. Best to show reviews from trustworthy sources people know, like Facebook, GMB and Trustpilot.

Overall Tips for Testimonials:

• More attractive people convert more. That is the truth, better looking people on testimonials convert more, especially for services that are esthetic like hair salons or dentists.

• Using influencers. If you have the budget for it, using influencers to promote your services in the testimonials is one of the best ways to increase brand authority.

If you want more tips on optimizing testimonials of a business across all directories (GMB, Yelp, Trustpilot, etc.). We have a free training that goes over how to do it optimally (link to training)

Part 5: Miscellaneous Design Optimizations

Here are a few strategies on how to optimize the odder, less typical aspects of a websites design.

Miscellaneous Optimizations

Design optimization is a complex endeavor, and in it, there are many parts and sub sections to be optimized. From optimizing the background, images, videos, fonts, color pallet, etc.

Why are miscellaneous optimizations important?

1. Details Matter: Although the main parts of your websites design affect it the most (CTA's, VSL's, Testimonials), the little, less visible aspects have an impact that is quite remarkable.

2. Unconscious vs Conscious: The smaller details are improvements usually done in a way that will not be consciously seen by website visitors. they are subtle cues, pushing the visitors towards purchasing your service./contacting you.

All the details to be optimized

There are probably hundreds if not thousands of small things you can optimize for on a websites design. We will focus on the most common/most effective ones.

1. Background:

   1. Color: You background should serve as the canvas on which your website shows itself. Colors should be pale, revolving around whites and blacks depending on the branding of your site.

   2. Animation: Having animations in the background of your site, constantly moving, engages customers. As ridiculous as it might sound, having many small icons moving around in the background of your site is a great way to keep customers more engaged on your site, increasing retention rate.

2. Mouse:

   1. Animation: The mouse can have slight animation to keep users engaged, having a flow behind it might help people see where their mouse is, surprisingly increasing conversion rates.

   2. Auto-Click: After a person has hovered a button for over 5 seconds, the mouse could automatically click the button. Showing a loading while the mouse is hovering the button.

3. Media:

   1. Images of services: Have images for every service you offer and show what it looks like. Use your own images as stock images hurt rankings on Google.

   2. Before and After: Using before and after images on your website is one of the best ways to communicate your services to clients and show what you can do for them. Use your most common service performed, as well as the most transformative to showcase. This will give your clients an idea on what you do, and how good you do it.

   3. Videos: Videos are the best way to show your services to clients. Keeps them more engaged, shows them more angles/situations in which your services apply.

      1. You want videos to be engaging, straight to the point

      2. You want them to show before and after of your main services as well as most transformative

      3. Enticing thumbnails will help conversions. Same rules that apply for making thumbnails for Youtube videos, applies here. Bright colors, showing faces and positive emotions.

      4. For higher ticket services, you might want to create videos that are longer form. For example you run home remodeling, you might want to create a video going through the whole process of redesigning, instead of just a before and after.

      5. Use captions in videos so people can read along if they can't listen along at that moment.

Bonus Tips:

• Build website on mobile and then on desktop, 80%+ of traffic is now on mobile. Adapting your website for mobile first is crucial for increasing optimizations.

• Simple navigation. Less buttons on the menu is usually better. Less confusion, more conversions.

• Scrolling animations can be used for every scroll. Will keep your visitors engaged more, ultimately leading to more conversions.

• Simple is usually better. A simple site is easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to get what you want out of it. A rule of thumb is you want to write the text on your site that a 5th grader can read. Can ask ChatGpt to do this for you

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Conclusion - Website Design Optimization

If you’d like to learn more about optimizing your business online, we offer 12 free trainings on subjects ranging from SEO, Website Optimization and even Sales. 

Click the link below 👇

https://vizonsdigital.gumroad.com/l/12Trainings

If you are looking to outsource the work and get us to optimize these parts of your business, visit our site for more information, and book a discovery call with our team. 

Click the link below 👇

www.vizionsdigital.com