Within the first few seconds of landing on a website, the user decides if they wish to scroll further or exit from the site. A powerful web design is the one where the user is encouraged to stay on the site and not bounce to some other website instead. To create such a web design, here are a few simple tips that will improve the bounce rate tremendously.

1. Create a Plan:

The first step should not be designing the website but to map out the visitor's journey on the site from the first step to the last step. Understanding the buyer's flow with help in planning the pages you need to include that will lead the potential customers to go through the sales funnel. Plan out the time you will allocate for each task of web building and set reminders as well. Organization tools such as calendar apps can be of great help to do so.

2. Include Clear Navigation:

Navigation plays an essential role in keeping users on the site. A site with unclear navigations will only put off the users. The hierarchy should be such that the flow comes naturally. Also, keep a balanced number of links in each of the category which is a good web design practice.

3. Remove Unwanted Elements from Your Website:

Certain elements on a website can be more distracting than being useful, including long content, complicated animations, and overstuffing of the site with images. Remember, the audience has a low attention span and you need to create an impression within the first few seconds of them landing on the site. This can only be done when you speak precisely and add appropriate animation or images that relate to the context. Using jargon may only confuse the users, so avoid over-used ambiguous words and stick to a language that conveys your thoughts in a simplified way.

4. Avoid Background Images:

While adding background images seem like a cool feature, especially when you are doing zoom call and add interesting zoom backgrounds to display a clever backdrop, it is not the same with web pages. When you add background images, the text on top of the page may not be clearly legible making it difficult to read the text. Hence avoid adding background images to the web pages and prefer a clear white background for good legibility.

5. Include Calls-to-Action:

Once the users land on the site, you need to guide them towards a call to action button which indicates the next step they should be taking on the site. Before including the call to action, add content that convinces them why they should engage with the site. Above the fold concept is not the only thing you should consider, as it is useless to add a CTA on top if you have not convinced the users enough to click on it. It is ok if they scroll a bit but make sure when they do reach the CTA, the click on it. Highlight the element by making it stand out as compared to other elements on the page so it does not get missed.

6. Make Use of the Right Images:

Adding images to the website is an important part of creating one, but you have to choose carefully. Stay away from free images and try to take real photographs to be unique. If that is not an option then you can always buy an image that goes along with the website theme and content.

7. Add Social Share and Follow Buttons:

As a web builder, your focus should be to create a user-friendly website that is easy to navigate and also offers valuable information to the users. But you will also want people to share the content further. People usually forget to do that until they are reminded, which is why adding a share button is essential to remind and encourage them to share the content. Also, include the follow button so they get constant content updates from you.

8. Include as Much White Space:

White space is one of the most essential design elements you should not ignore. It not just de-clutters the page but also helps in highlighting the important content on the page and improves readability. A clean layout will help in reducing the bounce rate of the website.

9. Optimize for All Screen-Size:

As web design is done on a desktop or laptop, you may be creating a design that looks good on the current screen but messes up when viewed in different screen sizes. A good designer needs to think beyond that and focus on creating a website that functions well in all screen sizes. As more than 60% of users browse the net through their phones, optimization for small screens is essential, which will greatly affect your website design overall. Use a mobile-first website building approach that will make sure that the site is well optimized for small screens from the start.

The Bottom Line- Do Not Forget to Test:

Website design is not a one-time thing. Once the site is up, you will need to constantly make changes and test what works best for the site. Try two different designs for the same page and check the analytics to figure out the one that brings better engagement. Small tweaks here and there will help in engaging users further and build a successful website.