One of the more overlooked design aspects of a website is usability. People tend to get caught up if flashy graphics and unique layouts that the site gets cluttered up and hard to use. This is where a usability consultant can help fine tune your website for an optimal conversion rate.
Information needs to be easily accessible and links need to be intuitive to be effective. Clutter is the most common error beginners (and some professionals) make. Website visitors have little patience for confusing layouts and layered menus (unless necessary) that do not get them to the information they want quickly.
A properly positioned picture and a video when appropriate can be very effective. Overuse of media can be distracting and lead to an increased bounce rate. This is why third party testing is helpful when you want to increase your conversion rate thus having more clients. You only have a few seconds to get the visitor’s attention so why would you want to distract them?
As a website grows management tasks increase. The content needs to be current and links need to work to keep a visitor on your website. The longer they stay and the more information they find the more likely they will be to give you business. Websites are not a post and forget type of advertising, they need to be continually monitored and adapted to your client’s needs. This is where the next phase of website management takes the lead, compiling data and evaluation.