We can easily use the 5 seconds rule to determine whether or not you need to improve your site’s design. This means that if a visitor does not realize what the site is all about in 5 seconds, you need a face lift.
Any site has to clearly communicate something and it needs to showcase why the visitor is there. You may have a high bounce rate when this does not happen. Make sure that you read more about this and that you also consider the tips we are about to offer right now.
![By Stéphanie Walter [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons](http://www.blogforweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Devicetemplates_computer-02.png)
Design With A Plan In Mind
You should never just start work on a design. In order to be 100% sure that the results will be perfect, you have to map out the journey that the customer goes through from entry point to the moment where he/she actually turns into a customer. This is a lot easier said than done but it can be done when you plan and you design according to that plan.
Design Elements To Be Removed
For starters, do not use Flash. The same thing goes for a complicated animation because that causes lower website loading speed and the competitors will win out if they are faster. Average attention span for a visitor is 8 seconds and you have to be sure that you capture attention in just 5.
Never use jargon because nobody actually likes that. Your visitors might not understand what you mean and it should be added that removing all words that are over-hyped is a necessity. To put it simple, all the words that have been overused to create hype have to disappear from your site.
Always Include Social Networking Elements
You want your visitor to be able to share or like your content. That is the truth for blogs and company websites. Make sure that every single page on your site showcases such functionality.
Use Suitable Images
It is obvious that you cannot use any image to promote your site and it is such a shame to see random pictures being used all the time. For instance, one large picture of Mickey Mouse might seem suitable on this page. That is simply not the case. You should not use a stock photo. Instead, how about an image of you or some of the employees you run? That would be a lot more suitable for company sites.
Change Your Navigation
The main objective of a website should be to offer a very good user experience. Navigation is crucial in offering that. Make sure that you identify site stickiness and that you see how long the visitor ends up being interested and engage with the site.
The worst type of site (and you surely came across many till now) is the one that simply does not offer anything that you find with ease. You have to be sure that your visitor reaches the main point of interest with ease.
Don’t Remain Stuck On Above The Fold
In the past, most sites had the 1080 px width resolution. It was considered that visitors should not scroll. That is no longer the case. Nowadays interested visitors do scroll and you should not be afraid to offer them this possibility since this automatically opens up the door for more information. Remember that visitors look for information, not elaborate designs.
Mobile Optimization
We left this as the last mentioned element but it should definitely be a priority for you. There is an obvious growth in the number of people that use mobile devices in order to browse the internet. Unfortunately, most websites are still not optimized. Make sure that yours is. If there is just one modification you can make to your site and you do not have it optimized yet, this is it.
