Web Design That Works

Think about how you want a potential customer to react the first time they visit your website. A few guesses for your answer - you want the customer to be impressed by your content, find the layout and imagery to be aesthetically pleasing, and know exactly where to go and what to click on to submit a lead for that Indian Chieftan they've had their eye on.

So, is this what actually happens when potential customers visit you online?

Consider your site's design. How many choices for navigation do you offer your website visitors on your homepage, five or fifty? How clear are the call-to-action buttons (CTAs) that you want those visitors to click on to submit their leads?

We often get stuck in the mindset of "more is better" - if we provide more options, more features, more stuff - we will seem more knowledgeable and credible. But this is the opposite of what website visitors want.

People have short attention spans, in large part due to smartphones and constant access to the Internet. They want things to be easy, so make it easy for your potential customers to navigate your site. Present clear options: New, Pre-Owned, Rentals. Contact Us, Schedule an Appointment, Request a Quote.

Prioritize usability. Your number one goal is for your potential customer to submit a lead, right? Make it very simple for them to do that by designing your site in an intuitive way. If your website doesn't allow visitors to find what they're looking for quickly and easily, they will leave.

The most important question is - How do we achieve this?

Design your site (or oversee the design) with a minimalistic style, and keep your customers' concerns at top of mind. Provide an easy-to-navigate menu bar across the top of your site with drop-down options that help visitors get more specific. On individual pages of your site, consider what kind of information you'd be looking for if you were in their shoes - for example, price. Make the price clear and obvious, and put a call-to-action button for "Get Financing" right underneath it.

With a little practice, you'll see that this type of web design is much easier to execute than you'd think. Many web designers just don't consider the buyer's point of view, and that is a mistake. Test your website out yourself by pretending that you're a first-time visitor, and you've never even heard of your dealership before. Use common sense while navigating - are units easy to find? Are there options and contact forms in place to accommodate questions that naturally arise? If you find yourself having trouble, you know that it's time to make some adjustments.