5 Top Tips in WordPress Design to increase engagement

When it comes to appearances, website design is a lot like dating. Initial attraction is needed to spark interest, which, let’s face it, generally places emphasis on external appearances. It is only after the first impression that there is interest in the ‘getting to know you’ phase.

People are naturally influenced by what is seen and when it comes to the site visitor, web design is no different, playing a role in attracting the visitor’s attention. Keeping this fact in mind can facilitate retaining visitors on your site. This in turn can result in converting your visitor into a customer by implementing the following 5 Top Tips in WordPress Design to increase engagement:

    1. WordPress Themes
      What is the first aspect that catches your visitor’s eye? Generally it’s the overall feel created by the design. WordPress offers a wide variety of themes which can be customised to create your own unique site in order to captivate and communicate through design elements which invite your visitor to take a closer look, communicating to your visitor that your site is worth his or her attention at least for a little longer.Choosing the right commercial theme or having a professional theme developed is an important decision keeping the appearance of your WordPress site fresh and interesting for your customers.   This gives your website the edge and helps create an online presence that is inviting and engaging. Your theme provides the overall look and feel of your website and also gives specific functionality which can be used effectively to create an emotional affiliation with your product and brand.
    1. PluginsPlugins can either make or break your website. Having too many plugins can slow your website down considerably and having outdated plugins that are poorly coded can cause serious issues with your website’s security. However using the correct plugins can give your website the advanced functionality it needs without having to get a developer to code features from scratch. Used wisely plugins can turn your website into a powerhouse. The general rule of thumb should always be to only add plugins if really needed and remove all redundant ones.
    1. Images speak louder than wordsUsing images which play a significant role in telling a story make the content more relatable and invite the reader to take a closer look at the content. As people we first buy with our eyes. Users are going to see your visuals way before they read all of the content on your website. Lack of good visuals may very well cause you to lose out on visitors staying on your website for very long. Different visuals and images should be effectively used to draw the user deeper into your content and preferably evoke positive emotions, drawing them closer to experiencing the brand.
    1. Colour your Design WorldColour communicates on a subconscious level, creating an emotional response in the visitor. It also makes the website more accessible and user friendly. In fact juxtaposing different colours for the background and the text contributes to content legibility, allowing the content to stand out and be easily read.The colour of your website plays a very important role. You should always keep in mind who your target audience is and what would most likely appeal to them. For most professional websites good clean white space with highlights of specific colour works well. It is important to stick to a colour palette and not use several random colours, else your website will lose the professional look it needs. Used effectively colour can be a powerful tool both in aesthetics and user interaction. 
    2. Be Flexible about Flexibility
      Having a flexible, responsive or adaptive website is incredibly important. In years past if your website could adapt well on a mobile device you were certainly a pioneer but these days if your website is not displaying well on a mobile device you are history. When a user’s experience with your website is a pleasant one, you facilitate a relationship between the user and your brand, where the user is far more likely to respond to your call to action, make contact or purchase your product.

Web design plays a pivotal role in facilitating a relationship between the website and the visitor, facilitating an interaction which leads to the visitor getting to know the website and the brand it represents. This helps to establish the brand’s credibility which is significant as people buy from those they know, like and trust – all of which can be established through the elements of design which in turn motivate a positive drive to engage with your content.

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