Web Design Fundamentals: How to Increase Website Conversion Rates Through Content Layout
2024 / 01 / 09
"How do you truly create an effective website?"
This is a question many brand owners looking to enter the online market seek to answer.
According to Arachne Group Limited, regardless of a brand's purpose for creating a website, it is crucial not to focus solely on making the site visually appealing. Instead, the overall visual presentation should be based on established visual principles, ensuring that aesthetics and usability combine to achieve maximum efficiency.
Below, we use examples to discuss how content layout can be used to increase website conversion rates.
△ When you open the Shein website, what captures your attention first? The "USERS ONLY" message? The "GET EXTRA 20%" sidebar? Or the various carousel banners?
In reality, when our brains are simultaneously bombarded with excessive content, the initial reaction isn't to focus on any specific area of the interface, but rather to click the close button in the upper right corner.
In other words:
Too many focal points = No focal point = User attrition
Now, consider another example:
△ The strong contrast between text color and background color, along with the clear and simple product presentation, easily attracts users and encourages them to explore the content further.
— · — · — · — · — · —
From these two typical examples, it becomes evident: If page layout design adheres to users' browsing habits, increasing the website's overall conversion rate is an achievable goal!
Web Design Fundamentals: Visual Hierarchy as the Foundation of Layout Design
What is visual hierarchy? Simply put, it refers to the hierarchical relationship between elements in page design. This hierarchy determines the user's visual flow when visiting a page – what they see first and what they see next. Consequently, a well-designed visual hierarchy not only guides user attention but also highlights key content, thereby enhancing information delivery.
Generally, visual hierarchy can be implemented through the following techniques:
Font Selection: Different fonts often carry varying visual weights, making them suitable for distinguishing primary from secondary information. For instance, using bold or italicized fonts can emphasize specific sections, while serif fonts can improve text legibility.
Color Scheme: People are naturally drawn to bright and vibrant colors. Therefore, increasing the color contrast between key elements and others can effectively guide the user's gaze. For example, light-colored text on a dark background is more noticeable, and warm tones tend to be more attractive than cool tones.
Spatial Layout: By rationally arranging the position and spacing of elements, information can be presented in a more organized manner, enhancing the interface's sense of hierarchy. This can be achieved through appropriate use of whitespace or alignment techniques to make the page appear cleaner and more structured.
Web Design Fundamentals: Understanding User Browsing Patterns is Also Essential!
Since visual hierarchy forms the basis of page layout design, what should inform the planning of these hierarchical relationships?
The answer lies in "understanding user browsing patterns," specifically the well-known "F-Pattern" and "Z-Pattern" of reading.
● F-Pattern Browsing
Typically, when users browse content on a webpage, they first read horizontally across the top part of the content area. Then, they move down the page and read across a second horizontal section. Finally, they scan vertically down the left side of the page.
△ The three heatmaps above, from eye-tracking studies on three different websites, show that content is primarily consumed following an F-shaped pattern. It's important to note that the F-pattern doesn't always follow a strict two-horizontal-line model; it can involve multiple horizontal scan lines (as seen in the right heatmap).
△ When a user lands on the Ikea website, their eyes are first drawn to the headline in the banner, followed by the CTA section we want them to click. If interested in the banner content, the user is likely to click the CTA button and proceed with the conversion steps.
● Z-Pattern Browsing
The Z-pattern layout essentially mimics the natural reading path of the human eye: left to right, top to bottom.
Similar to the F-pattern, the Z-pattern is not necessarily a precise Z-shape; the horizontal lines need not be perfectly level, and the page can contain multiple Z-patterns. It generally qualifies as a Z-pattern layout if it ensures the following:
– The top horizontal axis includes the key components you want the user to notice first.
– The bottom horizontal axis prominently features a CTA element somewhere along its path.
Because the Z-pattern design aligns more closely with users' mental models and behavioral tendencies, this layout can enhance user immersion and engagement. It allows users to grasp information holistically rather than reading word-for-word, making it suitable for minimalist pages or landing pages.
【Summary】
In summary, visual hierarchy forms the foundation of page layout design, determining the user's browsing experience and the effectiveness of information communication. Therefore, employing various techniques to establish a strong visual hierarchy, while ensuring the page layout aligns with user browsing patterns, will contribute significantly to enhancing the overall website user experience and driving better conversion outcomes for the brand.
About Arachne Group Limited
Arachne Group Limited provides comprehensive one-stop digital business solutions, including: Web Design, Online Promotion, Web Hosting & Management, System Development, and other value-added services, fully catering to our clients' business needs. Feel free to contact us anytime. Arachne Group Limited is your ideal partner for expanding online business opportunities.
Contact Us:
Tel: 852-3749 9734
Email: info@hkweb.com.hk
Website: https://hkweb.com.hk
This is a question many brand owners looking to enter the online market seek to answer.
According to Arachne Group Limited, regardless of a brand's purpose for creating a website, it is crucial not to focus solely on making the site visually appealing. Instead, the overall visual presentation should be based on established visual principles, ensuring that aesthetics and usability combine to achieve maximum efficiency.
Below, we use examples to discuss how content layout can be used to increase website conversion rates.
△ When you open the Shein website, what captures your attention first? The "USERS ONLY" message? The "GET EXTRA 20%" sidebar? Or the various carousel banners?
In reality, when our brains are simultaneously bombarded with excessive content, the initial reaction isn't to focus on any specific area of the interface, but rather to click the close button in the upper right corner.
In other words:
Too many focal points = No focal point = User attrition
Now, consider another example:
△ The strong contrast between text color and background color, along with the clear and simple product presentation, easily attracts users and encourages them to explore the content further.
— · — · — · — · — · —
From these two typical examples, it becomes evident: If page layout design adheres to users' browsing habits, increasing the website's overall conversion rate is an achievable goal!
Web Design Fundamentals: Visual Hierarchy as the Foundation of Layout Design
What is visual hierarchy? Simply put, it refers to the hierarchical relationship between elements in page design. This hierarchy determines the user's visual flow when visiting a page – what they see first and what they see next. Consequently, a well-designed visual hierarchy not only guides user attention but also highlights key content, thereby enhancing information delivery.
Generally, visual hierarchy can be implemented through the following techniques:
Font Selection: Different fonts often carry varying visual weights, making them suitable for distinguishing primary from secondary information. For instance, using bold or italicized fonts can emphasize specific sections, while serif fonts can improve text legibility.
Color Scheme: People are naturally drawn to bright and vibrant colors. Therefore, increasing the color contrast between key elements and others can effectively guide the user's gaze. For example, light-colored text on a dark background is more noticeable, and warm tones tend to be more attractive than cool tones.
Spatial Layout: By rationally arranging the position and spacing of elements, information can be presented in a more organized manner, enhancing the interface's sense of hierarchy. This can be achieved through appropriate use of whitespace or alignment techniques to make the page appear cleaner and more structured.
Web Design Fundamentals: Understanding User Browsing Patterns is Also Essential!
Since visual hierarchy forms the basis of page layout design, what should inform the planning of these hierarchical relationships?
The answer lies in "understanding user browsing patterns," specifically the well-known "F-Pattern" and "Z-Pattern" of reading.
● F-Pattern Browsing
Typically, when users browse content on a webpage, they first read horizontally across the top part of the content area. Then, they move down the page and read across a second horizontal section. Finally, they scan vertically down the left side of the page.
△ The three heatmaps above, from eye-tracking studies on three different websites, show that content is primarily consumed following an F-shaped pattern. It's important to note that the F-pattern doesn't always follow a strict two-horizontal-line model; it can involve multiple horizontal scan lines (as seen in the right heatmap).
△ When a user lands on the Ikea website, their eyes are first drawn to the headline in the banner, followed by the CTA section we want them to click. If interested in the banner content, the user is likely to click the CTA button and proceed with the conversion steps.
● Z-Pattern Browsing
The Z-pattern layout essentially mimics the natural reading path of the human eye: left to right, top to bottom.
Similar to the F-pattern, the Z-pattern is not necessarily a precise Z-shape; the horizontal lines need not be perfectly level, and the page can contain multiple Z-patterns. It generally qualifies as a Z-pattern layout if it ensures the following:
– The top horizontal axis includes the key components you want the user to notice first.
– The bottom horizontal axis prominently features a CTA element somewhere along its path.
Because the Z-pattern design aligns more closely with users' mental models and behavioral tendencies, this layout can enhance user immersion and engagement. It allows users to grasp information holistically rather than reading word-for-word, making it suitable for minimalist pages or landing pages.
【Summary】
In summary, visual hierarchy forms the foundation of page layout design, determining the user's browsing experience and the effectiveness of information communication. Therefore, employing various techniques to establish a strong visual hierarchy, while ensuring the page layout aligns with user browsing patterns, will contribute significantly to enhancing the overall website user experience and driving better conversion outcomes for the brand.
About Arachne Group Limited
Arachne Group Limited provides comprehensive one-stop digital business solutions, including: Web Design, Online Promotion, Web Hosting & Management, System Development, and other value-added services, fully catering to our clients' business needs. Feel free to contact us anytime. Arachne Group Limited is your ideal partner for expanding online business opportunities.
Contact Us:
Tel: 852-3749 9734
Email: info@hkweb.com.hk
Website: https://hkweb.com.hk
MORE BLOG
-
What Are Web Development and Web Design? The Two Pillars of Building Successful Web Solutions
2025/11/19 Transforming it into a functional, live website requires a series of complex conversion processes, including writing code, setting up databases, and building backend functionalities. -
How to Create a Pet Supplies E-commerce Website? Master 3 Web Design & 3 Online Promotion Strategies
2025/11/11 Mastering practical skills is the key to success! In this article, Arachne Group Limited will guide pet brand merchants step-by-step, helping you build an online shopping paradise where pet owners love to browse and are happy to make purchases. -
Key Points in Local Fast Food Restaurant Web Design: Crafting an Online Experience that Appeals to All Senses
2025/11/05 In this digital age, a professional and user-friendly website becomes your restaurant's "24/7 online extension." It is not merely a digital menu board but a strategic cornerstone for attracting new customers, retaining regulars.
