You’ve worked hard to make your site’s content fresh and relevant. Why the high bounce rate and silent phones?
Your site may have the most researched, informative and engaging content on the planet–but if your website visitor is confronted with a distracting pop-up or the site is difficult to navigate, a bounce may be the first move your user makes. Alternatively, if you have a beautifully designed site that has everything easily accessible for the user but the content is stale and yawn-inducing, your site is also primed for a bounce. “Keep moving folks, there’s nothing to see here.”
White Space is a Website’s Friend.
White space allows the user room to breathe when reading. White space is used to draw the eye to elements of the site as well as directing the flow of text. Too much text, no matter how informative, is overwhelming for site visitors.
Consistency is Key.
Content is more than just text. Content includes images, navigation, links, share features and more. Each element of content should be consistent with the message shared in the text. For example, use images that have a common thread with the story. Group similar content together.
Scanability Matters.
Use fonts that are easy to read — for all users. Give the text proper spacing. Make sure the text is scanable and that users can glean information from a quick look at the page. Use bullet points as needed. Stay away from lengthy pages, and break them into smaller pages for longer content.
Bells and Whistles Not Necessary.
An engaging website is often fun and friendly — if your site has bells and whistles, make sure each one has a purpose or communicates a message to the user. You’ve launched your site and it looks wonderful, but is it working for the user? Don’t get caught up in “Launch Love.” Be pragmatic and make changes as needed. Show your site’s sophistication through simplicity.
Don’t Make Your Visitor Work.
Engaging content with a clear and consistent message goes a long way. Your site visitor will appreciate being able to easily navigate to that information without thinking. Choose wisely when naming navigation buttons. A visitor can get frustrated with your site quickly, and if that happens, they may leave and never return.
Marry your great content with a good user experience and your visitors will be back for more.