How to Use Web Design to Increase Customer Engagement

There are many tools, methods & strategies for increasing customer engagement via your website. Search engines are now taking into consideration user experience when grading the quality of the websites they are crawling.

A professionally designed website is the foundation of every successful business. Web design done well encourages visitors to engage with your content and helps to convert them to customers.

A 2019 report found that 94% of consumers who give a company a “very good” customer experience rating are more likely to purchase products and services from the same company in the future.

Your website design plays a major role in ensuring people have a great customer experience when visiting your website.

We spoke to some top New York web designers, who emphasized that a well-designed website is a key to establishing your online presence and increasing customer engagement.

In this article, we will explore why customer engagement matters and share tips on how you can improve web design to increase customer engagement.

Why Does Customer Engagement Matter?

The goal of customer engagement is to generate more conversions.

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The main benefits of customer engagement:

• Improves the customer’s experience with your brand
• Boosts customer loyalty and trust

Top Web Design Tips To Influence Customer Experience and Engagement

Let’s look at some top tips you can follow to increase customer engagement with your web design: :

#1: Follow the latest web design trends

For your business to stay relevant and engaging for your customers, your website should keep up with modern trends and the ever-changing digital landscape.

Following outdated trends will lessen your credibility as a brand.

If you want your business to stay competitive, your website should look fresh and modern and not as it got stuck in the 90s.

Modern UI web design trends include:

• Negative space
• 3D graphics
• Bold typography
• Dark mode
• Vivid color combinations

Modern UX web design trends include:

• Conversational UX
• Human-centric copy
• Storytelling
• Minimalistic navigation
• Virtual and Augmented reality

Be mindful of what’s happening in your field, watch what your competitors do and keep an eye out for new trends that perform well with your target audience.

#2: Make your web design credible and trustworthy

Website design plays a significant role when consumers decide if your business is credible. 

If your visitors get the impression that your website doesn’t look trustworthy, it might raise red flags for them, which can cause them to bounce. 

To keep your website looking professional and credible, be sure to follow the modern web design trends above.

If the users like what they see, they’ll stay on your website, leading to lower bounce rates and increased conversions.

#3: Keep it simple

When it comes to a strategically designed website, less is always more.

Today, the best web design practices include clean layouts that showcase only the most important content with specific, actionable CTA buttons to drive conversions.

To make your website simple and easy to understand, avoid any unnecessary design elements such as overpowering text, long paragraphs, complex layouts and illegible typefaces. Pay attention to website hierarchy and use plenty of white space to give your website a clean and modern look.

#4: Make navigation easy

Navigation is vital in website design.

Users will leave a website if they don’t find what they’re looking for right away.

If your website is confusing to use, your visitor will give up and look elsewhere, increasing your website’s bounce rate.

A well-designed navigation bar allows users to browse your website and find the information they want quickly and easily.

#5: Emphasize security and transparency

Build customer engagement and trust by designing a website that prioritizes security and transparency above all else.

If you run an eCommerce website, display social proof, trust badges and trust seals in addition to the standard product and shipping information and 24/7 customer service.
If you’re a large corporation, demonstrate transparency by displaying stock data and quarterly reports for investors, and give credit to your partners or subsidiaries.

#6: Maintain design consistency

Consistent branding elements across your website and social channels help increase brand recognition.

Brand recognition matters because it helps your users remember and recognize your brand.

Elements such as copy, UI features, fonts and color palette should be synchronized and feel consistent across your web channels. 

#7: Meet user’s expectations

According to a 2020 report, 80% of consumers say they would rather do business with a competitor after a bad experience with a brand.

Users visit a website because they are looking for specific services or products.

For example, a YouTube visitor will probably be looking for a video. Visitors of airline websites expect to see a booking system and customer support information.

If your users don’t see the features they expect on your website, chances are they will go to your competitor’s website.

#8: Create high-quality content

You should aim to provide true value to your visitors through your website content, from your landing pages to career pages, images, videos, blogs and other resources. Valuable content will keep visitors coming back to your website.

But how exactly does your content keep your customers engaged?

A content-rich website can help increase your search engine ranking, and compelling content will help you establish credibility and thought leadership, which will promote customer trust and keep your visitors engaged.

You can also use chatbots to reach out to customers directly. For example, some TikTok users use a free TikTok bot to simplify user interactions and engage more viewers. A simple question or tip can be enough to motivate your audience into wanting to know more about your brand, product, idea, etc.

#9: Invest in custom images

You can take the easy route with imagery for your website by using stock images. But beware, doing so will leave your brand floating in an ocean of ordinary websites.

Make your website stand out while keeping your users engaged by creating custom images for your website.

Custom images will help you build your brand and make it easier for your users to understand your message.

#10: Make sure your website is responsive and mobile-first

According to a 2021 study, 49.7% of total web visits in the US came from mobile devices. 

Due to the fast-paced lifestyle many people live today, users want to access information anytime, anywhere, using whatever device they might be holding.

So, if your website doesn’t have a responsive or mobile-first design, there’s a high chance you may be losing out on conversions.

#11: Prioritize page load speed

Did you know that 53% of visitors leave a mobile website if it takes longer than three seconds to load?

If you want to keep your customers engaged, your website’s loading speed time shouldn’t keep them waiting.

Here is how you can improve your website load time:

• Optimize the images on your site
• Minimize HTTP requests
• If your site contains videos, host them on an external platform
• Minimize the number of redirects on your site

Wrapping Up On How to Use Web Design to Influence Customer Engagement

Website design is an important factor in customer retention, engagement and overall customer experience.

Here’s a quick recap of web design tips you can follow to improve  customer engagement:

• Follow modern web design trends
• Ensure that your web design is credible
• Keep it simple
• Make navigation easy
• Emphasize security and transparency
• Maintain design consistency
• Meet your user’s expectations 
• Provide compelling content
• Invest in custom images
• Ensure that your website is responsive and mobile-first
• Prioritize website loading speed

Author bio

Rick Seidl is a digital marketing specialist with a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media and Communications, based in Portland, Oregon. With a burning passion for digital marketing, social media, small business development, and establishing its presence in a digital world, currently quenching his thirst through writing about digital marketing and business strategies for DigitalStrategyOne.

[Images Sources: Pixabay | Pixabay