Websites are as important as your product/service these days. It could be the first impression your customer has when they become aware of your brand. About 50 milliseconds is the time users take to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they like your site or not and whether they’ll stay or leave. In this case, your first impression can literally turn a prospect into a customer or sadly, drive a hot lead away.
While designing and developing a website are two of the most important things, let’s not forget that reviewing a website before it goes live can make all the difference. Just one edit can change the entire look or tone of your website for good.
So, how to ace this website review process? Ruttl is here to guide you through all the steps. Here are the most important things to test on your website on during the review process -
1. Appealing Call To Actions
Your website content, design and tone may be top-notch but it’s of no use if there aren’t any appealing calls to action for your user. These calls to action may be in the form of an e-book download on your blog page or opting for a subscription on your home page but make sure they are easily accessible and encourage the visitor to take action.
2. Website Structure and Design
Research says that the first impressions of a website are 94% design related. Your website should have an organized structure and design that is not too crowded but at the same time has enough to catch the visitor’s eye. You can match your structure with that of established players in your field and go a step further and make it even better.
3. Tone of the website
Is your website conveying professionalism? Are the images that you are using unique or are they a replica of thousands of such images you can find online? Is the content tone appropriate to your audience?
4. What catches the eye first?
What is capturing your eye first? Is it a notable feature of your company or an important statistic that can convert a visitor or is it just a company focused message that a prospect may not find relevant?
5. Icons and Color Palette
You may like a funky color tone but does it resonate with your audience? Is it appropriate for your industry? The same should be checked for the icons you use. Are they too technical to understand or can a layman figure out what they mean?
6. Navigation and User Experience
You want your site to provide an excellent user experience for your visitors. It’s something that everyone expects these days. Make sure there’s no ambiguity in your navigation where the user may fail to get what they want and navigate away from the site.
7. Content
Content isn’t just restricted to the ‘copy’ on your site. It consists of everything from images, videos and even audios. Make sure they all align well together and convey the appropriate message.
8. Loading Speed
A good load speed is not only important to rank well on Google, but also to control high bounce rates. Google keeps updating it's search engine algorithm and hence your website loading speed needs to be at it's best. Improving even one second of loading speed time can massively improve the visitors drop of rate of your website.
Things to take care of while critiquing the website
1. Be specific rather than giving out vague reviews
“I don’t like the feel of the website” may be true but what does that mean for your designer or developer? Does it translate into anything substantial for them? Definitely not. So, dig deep into your opinion. It might be that the colors used aren’t giving the website a good look or the font size needs to be toned down a little.
When you come across a specific point, instead of going back-and-forth on emails, try Ruttl where you can leave live comments on the website itself. Not only does this make the reviewing process easier but your designer or developer knows exactly what to do which curtails the time spent in this entire process.
2. Consider the context
Instead of saying, “The design of the home page doesn’t make any sense”, try saying, “I am curious. What thought process led you to select this design for our homepage?”
This will help you understand the context behind the design. It might be that the designer/developer had their own reasons. Always inquire before you outright criticize their work.
3. Don't be rigid with opinions
Remember, the real visitors of your website may not prefer what you prefer. While you may like technical jargons, it would make no sense for your website to have them. So, when faced against a reasonable argument, instead of sticking to your opinions, let them go. That’s how you can come up with better designs and a better overall website.
Wondering if there might be a better way to do all this, without spending hours on back and forth emails with your team? Then look no further!
Ruttl is a visual website feedback tool that helps you comment on websites, collect feedback, collaborate with team members and clients to review design projects post development.
So what are you waiting for? Experience the fastest way to review websites at ruttl.com!
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