Having the right list of elements to include on your website isn’t enough to make it great. Website design and usability is a complex science that takes time to master. But this doesn’t mean you can’t build a compelling website without all this expertise!
The key is to follow some basic rules that will ensure your website looks professional and efficiently drives visitors to engage in your conference.
Rule #1 : Functionality comes first
Conference websites are getting more and more creative. Some use vibrant images and try to fit as much information on their websites as possible. I’m a strong believer in beautiful design, but while it is great to have a visually appealing website, it should never take away from the functionality and the core objective of having a website. In your case, you should focus on one thing: to make it as easy as possible to get delegates to submit and attend your conference.
Keep your site simple and straightforward. Your visitors are expecting to find certain information on your website, such as the conference dates, details on the venue or how to submit and register. Make sure your website contains all this information and that it’s easy to find.
If possible, make your website responsive, so that visitors can comfortably access and read the information from any device.
Rule #2 : Have a logical navigation structure
Make it as easy as possible for your visitors to navigate your site and help them find the content they are looking for. Study the order of your menu entries. Users tend to remember the first and last links better. That’s where you should put the most important entries.
Rule #3 : Avoid clutter
Don’t overload your website with information. There are lots of things you could put on your website – but you should only include the most relevant points. Prioritize and structure your content. Again, focus on what your visitors will find useful and care about and what will serve your objective.
A good website should be clean, concise and serve its purpose. And don’t be afraid of white spaces! In fact, light layouts boost readability.
Rule #4 : Monitor your conversion rate
Your conversion rate corresponds to the number of visitors who complete a certain action (generally, submitting or registering).
Improving your conversion rate requires some marketing expertise but you can start with some basic rules:
- Have clear call to actions. Call to actions are all the elements that will prompt visitors to do something. They usually take the shape of a button. Good call to actions clearly indicate what is expected from the visitor and they stand out. Use bright colors and try different options; make sure your copy stimulates action.
- Include eye-catching visuals. A website with some nice images and visuals is always more pleasant to read. If you use pictures, try to avoid the bland (and a bit cliché) stock photos. Spend some time trying to find pictures that add some personality to your website and align with your brand.
- Your user path should make sense. Visitors will expect a common sequence of steps (for example: landing page > online registration form > confirmation page with receipt). Stick to what they expect to avoid losing them in the process.
- Create a great landing page that converts
Rule #5 : Understand the basic principles of user behaviour
Website visitors have a particular way of going through the content of a page. A study by Nielsen Norman Group concluded that the majority of people read in an F pattern. This consists of a horizontal movement along the top of the page, then users move down the page and read across in a second horizontal movement. Finally, users scan the content’s left side in a vertical movement.
Furthermore, as Smashing Magazine explain well: “Users don’t read, they scan. Analysing a web-page, users search for some fixed points or anchors which would guide them through the content of the page”.