The importance of CRO and web design

When it comes to web design there's no doubting that many people have SEO in the back of their heads to make sure that the site will be able to rank highly in search engines. However, it's just important that web design has CRO (conversion rate optimisation) in mind to make sure that as many visitors as possible are turned into consumers. Ignoring CRO during the web design process is a sure way to lose out on business.

Some of the most important things to bear in mind when it comes to web design and CRO are very simple, but they can often be overlooked. For example, just having a website that is easy to navigate can be the difference between someone finding the product they want and them giving up and leaving. Although many people have fast internet connections web designers must still bear in mind that slow loading times may be enough to put some people off, especially since so many of us have grown used to lightning fast internet.

When a website's design changes there can often be a lot of fuss from loyal visitors (just look at the uproar Facebook users make every time there is an update). However, if it results in better CRO and extra revenue in the long run this could be worth it and hopefully you'll be attracting new custom all the time as well. This is why good web design should be forward thinking. If making changes to a site is easy, tweaking it whenever a problem is encountered can help improve CRO quickly and easily.

Furthermore, the fact that mobile browsing is beginning to really take off means that there can't be a single approach to CRO when it comes to web design. Users viewing a webpage on a 20" desktop will have a very different experience than someone with a 4.52" Samsung Galaxy S II. Unless web design takes into account the different ways people are viewing sites CRO will not reach its full potential.

Web design is crucial to CRO, and focusing on CRO doesn't need to be at the expense of SEO or other internet marketing strategies. Websites that are streamlined, accessible and know what their target audiences want will prove popular with both people and search robots, making good web design indispensable.