How to grab users’ attention with your website

Have you ever looked at your website’s stats and been amazed by how many people visit, but how few sticks around? Most people have limited attention spans and browse the internet quickly. In fact, unless you manage to grab their attention in 15 seconds, they’ll probably be gone forever. In this highly competitive digital marketplace, it’s crucial that you spend some time making your website stand out from the crowd. Here are some tips on how to optimize your home page’s design and content for a website that grabs and holds your viewers’ attention.

Clear, crisp design

The way your website looks is the first thing your visitors will notice. People make most of their decisions about the trustworthiness and credibility of a brand based on appearances. If your website looks dated or poorly designed, most viewers will assume the product and the content is also subpar. If you aren’t a graphic designer, it’s worth getting help with your new website to make sure it looks the part.

Easy to navigate

If your users need to spend more than a few seconds finding the page they want, they will become annoyed and will move on. Make sure that your website’s navigation is easy to find and use. This means placing it at the top of the page and using crystal clear text to explain where each link leads. Try not to use clever, coded words - say “about us” rather than “the crew”, for example.

Fast loading times

If your home page takes ages to load, your new visitors will give up before they even see your beautiful landing page. 53% of users will leave a website that doesn’t load in 3 seconds. Google also takes loading times into consideration, so if your website is slow, your SEO ranking will suffer.

Concise, punchy content

While your website may look fantastic, if the content is bland, or even worse, vague, your users will lose interest. The home page should clearly state what your website sells or does so your users know what they’re looking at. If you have a blog, make sure the posts are relevant, timely and well-written. No one wants to read something they’ve read before.

Appeal to your target audience

Knowing your target audience is essential to creating an appealing website. For instance, if your target audience is young moms, you’ll want your design and content to appeal to them. This means choosing the right colors and using the right tone of voice. These decisions will be very different if you’re trying to appeal to middle-aged motorcycle enthusiasts.

Optimize for mobile users

Most people these days browse the internet on their phones or tablets. If your website looks great on a desktop but is ugly on a mobile phone, you’ll lose a huge percentage of potential users. In fact, 58% of website visits are made on a mobile device. Make sure your website looks great on any device to reduce your bounce rate and retain viewers.