Content is supposed to drive web conversions, but did you know that design can make or break sales opportunities? Even with the most compelling content on the ‘net, readers can’t complete goals valuable to your bottom line if you have a lousy layout or lifeless calls to action.

Design plays a critical role in your website’s success. At least 35 percent of people say they won’t buy from a site that doesn’t look credible, and 45 percent say it’s worse to have a bad site than no site at all. Check out our interview with Graphics Production Manager Rachel Seidman, and read the full blog for additional insights 

In our 12 Days of content series, we asked our Graphics Production Manager Rachel Seidman to discuss some of the ways our design team executes graphic marketing strategies that help brands generate conversions and sales.

Build an information hierarchy

“Graphics play a huge role in generating conversions. Designers build websites and graphics with your goals and objectives in mind. They create a hierarchy based on what you want visitors to focus on, so people coming to your site are inevitably looking at the right information,” said Rachel.

In most cases, you want calls to action (CTAs) to be in the place where people’s eyes end up, because this is where you get prospects to take some sort of action like:

  • Downloading a resource that requires them to provide content info
  • Requesting a demo from your sales team
  • Signing up for a newsletter
  • Contacting you for more information
  • Making a purchase

We’ve seen that clients can significantly increase their conversion rates by updating CTAs with stronger visuals and language that clearly prompts viewers to take action.

Here are some examples:

This doesn’t mean you should overwhelm your audience with content that looks like ads. Google has quality standards that say most of the information above the fold should be organic – not commercially driven. Give readers the information they want, but also organize the page to create a clear pathway to the next logical step they should take.

Don’t let your best information get lost in the crowd

With limited real estate on web pages, there’s a tendency to put too much information in highly visible areas. This is a big mistake because it can confuse readers, and we’ve seen that too many choices can discourage consumers from taking any action at all.

“If you have too much text or imagery, it will look crowded and the viewer won’t know where to look. As a result, the person will just move on.”

“If you have too much text or imagery, it will look crowded and the viewer won’t know where to look. As a result, the person will just move on rather than get the information you are trying to get out there,” Rachel explained.

Whether you’re producing an infographic, an individual info stat or redesigning a page’s layout, make sure the visual and written content appears balanced. It must have a natural flow that matches users’ expectations (e.g. American readers generally read left to right, top to bottom).

Choose images that reflect your brand identity

The visuals you use in infographics and alongside blog content are another opportunity to influence visitors. Always pick imagery that reinforces your brand identity and authority. Only use visuals that represent your brand and are relevant to your target audience.

A retail company that’s targeting a younger audience should use colorful, fun images and illustrations, but it would send the wrong message coming from a brand with a B2B audience. Vice versa, the professional-looking data-focused graphics that appeal to business decision makers might have little influence on consumers looking to be entertained by a brand they like.

For more specifics on graphics strategies to fuel lead gen goals, get in touch with a member of our team.

Graphic marketing makes your content work harder

Visuals aren’t just an ‘extra’ that make your website look better. Graphics and design elements are the bones of your site that gives structure and context to your written content. A successful content campaign includes graphic marketing elements that direct visitors toward the actions that matter most for your business goals.

For more specifics on content strategies to fuel other goals, get in touch with a member of our team.

Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.