Stop Overthinking Your Website Design
Does it seem like success is given to the free spirits, and everything they touch turns to gold with ease and grace while you struggle with too many ideas and too much information?
We’re all stuck in a comparison economy where we are consistently looking at the competition, thought leaders, gurus, and more.
This leads us to over-analyzing copy, social media, websites, processes, and more.
Analysis by paralysis is real; my friends and about 52% of us overthink things which can cause anxiety and inaction.
When a visitor comes to your website, they want three things:
- the solution to their problem
- actionable information to get them solutions, and
- what do I need to do next
Without clarity, you have clutter. Clutter makes people overthink because there are too many decisions to be made and too much information to process.
I once heard the simplest way to stop overthinking is to declutter your mind. The same can go for your website.
You can do three things to simplify your website for yourself and your clients.
1. Focus on Problem-Solving and the Client
In a coding class, I remember three questions my professor posed to us. The questions had nothing to do with writing the code and everything to do with why we were writing it.
The idea was to focus on the problem or user for which we were writing the program, not the program itself. As the class progressed and we learned to develop, it because clear that we were focusing on solving the problem and fleshing out the variables.
The same goes for your website. Focus on the user and why they are seeking you out and not your business or offers, and they will see the value you are providing.
When thinking about your website, whether it be a single sales page, blog article or overall site, ask yourself these three questions.
- Is there a solution to this problem?
- Am I focusing on the solution?
- What steps do I need to take to accomplish this?
Asking yourself those questions can help you to identify the easiest path from A to B and to stop overthinking the process.
Your potential client will thank you because you present a straight path to the answer(s).
2. Give Actionable Information that Leads To The Solution
The primary goal of your website is to give your readers and visitors information to make an informed decision about your offers.
Start with a Site Map.
The sitemap is a visualization of the user journey in a page-by-page format and the actions they will take to get there; starting with the sitemap will allow you to find the gaps in the information journey.
Every page must have a purpose, and the content becomes the next step in achieving the end goal.
Make It Scannable
When landing on any page, the visitor must be able to figure out how this information will help quickly. By looking at the title and scanning the page, they will learn how this information applies to them or answer a key question.
In other words, let them know what’s in it for them.
Answer All Pertinent Questions
Addressing features and benefits is not where your site needs to stop presenting solutions. You need to ensure that you’ve covered everything. Addressing objections and clarifying your audience’s burning questions is part of the equation.
When creating your website and content, look at what would stop them from obtaining the solution and address those too.
Many people do this by offering a FAQ section, but even that page needs to address objections to the offer and not a catch-all for every question every audience would have.
Give Them Takeaways
Sometimes, the visitor will be in the consideration phase, assembling information to solidify the decision. You want not to be afraid to give them a piece of content they can walk away with to help them make their decision.
You don’t want to give all your best secrets away, but they do need to be convinced that what you have to offer is the answer they need. Basically, are you walking the walk?
We tend to overgive or give too many different freebies that don’t play to our strengths. Instead, please give them a piece that is the first step in the solution so they make one forward movement.
It’s always about forwarding movement and not a 50-step process to achieve ultimate success and never have to think again.
3. Create A Clear Call To Action
Every page needs a next step. One step. According to StoryBrand, customers do not take action unless they are challenged to take action.
When designing your call to action, you want to give the customer a clear path to purchasing that helps them solve the problem. Some popular choices are scheduling an appointment, registering for a masterclass, buying now, or calling.
But only addressing the buying action could you mean you are missing out too. It would help if you also had a transitional CTA or a way to engage those who are not ready to buy but have an interest.
Visitors or your site can use the transactional CTA to learn more about the solution or you and your business before they commit to the buy. Some popular and effective examples can watch the video, downloading the guide, or taking the quiz.
While the primary called action is designed to make the sale, the transactional call to action is to take the less risky path of doing business with you.
A lot goes into web design, but when we start thinking of the customer or the user and the solution to their problem, we can focus more on an effective design strategy and a great website.
Do you have a cluttered website or make your visitor overthink their buying decision? Let us review your website, which is part of our maintenance success services.