Increasing conversion rates is not commonly associated with web design portfolios, but why not? The main purpose of a portfolio and landing page designs is usually to get more business or even snag you a full-time job. There are a few things that have become well-known to increase “conversions” of business websites no matter what niche you are in and it’s all about building trust.
By conversion, I mean a visitor completing an action such as filling out a quote form, the point where they actually sign a contract and so on. What the conversion actually is, is up to you.
With increased internet scammers, crappy web designers and more making a mess of the Internet, it’s getting harder and harder for web designers in Kenya to build trust with new website visitors. You also have way more competition, so a good portfolio may not always be enough. You need to give yourself an edge and make it easy for people to understand why they should pick you over others.
The ideas below can be easily implemented into any web design portfolio or business website in a few hours and could help you secure many more clients and grow your sales in the long run.
Testimonials/Reviews
Testimonials are one of the easiest and most commonly used ways to build trust on websites. People love reading reviews because it gives them peace of mind, especially if they trust the person or business giving you the review. Even if your clients are not “well-known”, don’t be afraid to ask your clients for testimonials and be sure to ask for permission to put them on your website.
Adding pictures of the client or video reviews is a bonus if you can get them because it gives a face to the person reviewing you and makes the testimonials feel more “real” compared to plain old text.
Testimonials can fit almost anywhere on your website, such as your best one on your home page and more on a testimonials, press or about page. 1-3 is a good minimum number, but more is even better. Just don’t go overboard or people may think you are lying because you have SO MANY positive testimonials.
News, Press & Accomplishments
It’s always a great feeling to get mentioned positively in the press, win an award or accomplish a major goal. So let your potential clients know about it! A big part of making yourself and your business successful is becoming well-known and a leader in your community.
If people know who you are, respect you and love your work, you will have a big edge over the competition. Setting up a press page is a great place to post mentions in the news, interviews, awards and anything else notable about yourself or your company.
Even things such as publishing a book, or your designs being used somewhere or featured on a website would be great to put on your press page. If you have a blog, you should also post about any of these happenings there to get even more exposure.
You should also consider setting up Google Alerts for your name, business name, etc. so you can see when people mention you on the web. It’s also a useful way to get the heads up on negative press so you can better manage your brand online.
Facts and Statistics
People love facts and statistics, so if you have data on how your website designs actually improved your clients business, be sure to mention it on your website. For example, if you created a new landing page design and the new design increased conversions by 60%, then you should mention that in your portfolio under that project’s information and also in a case study if you create one as noted below.
Each piece in your portfolio should have at least one large image, a title, description (which should include facts and statistics) and a link to the live website if possible. The more information you have, the more your potential new clients will begin to trust that you are the right designer for the job.
Trust Building Graphics
Trust building graphics are a great way to make your website visitors trust you. There are many different types of graphics you can use such as secure payment graphics, anti hacker graphics, design organization membership graphics, award graphics and more.
It’s usually best to display them in a prominent location such as your header and footer and some of them like the awards graphics could also be placed on your press or about pages.
Case Studies
Case studies are similar to testimonials, but think of them as extended versions. They should be at least 300 words long and include a wealth of information such as who the client was, what their website was like before, what you did to change the website, how your design benefited the client, statistics, quotes, images and anything else you can think of.
It should be an in-depth summary of your project and should be featured on a case studies page along with others. You could publish them on your blog as a way to get traffic and link them from your main portfolio section.
Simply put, it’s just great content to have on your website and can enhance your web design business. Some people are happy enough with seeing good designs, but others want data, data and more data, especially if they are going to be dishing out big bucks for a large website and other work.
