Design is a key element in increasing conversion rates

It has been argued at many fora that Kenyan techies are blind to design or that they haven’t honed the skills – by acquisition or partnering, needed to deliver attention, desire, interest and action on technology-based products or services.

When thinking digital, many tend to focus on the underlying technology and functionality whether implemented as a website, mobile website or mobile application while relegating user experience and design to the back burner.

Regardless of one’s chosen medium, we all want our deployed properties to meet certain goals or “conversions” and design plays a crucial role.

User experience

Design is a crucial component of packaging technology that covers both visual and content aspects. While visual design may not sound like rocket science, there is actually a process to it that ensures you design for your audience and get the user experience right; topping it off with the cosmetic elements that many singularly identify as “design”.

The term user experience designer seems to have fallen off the resource list of technology projects; perhaps a testament to how assumed or confused the role has become.

The fundamentals of user-friendly design must be taken into account to ensure a product is design is aligned to “people, their activities and context”.

Content design looks at the creation and placement of copy, images and other inventory in a manner that maximises your product proposition.

From copy creation to the placement of your call to action, content design must be looked at critically as it may be the hook your potential consumer has been waiting for to engage with you.

The use of focus groups and A/B testing of various flavours of content will deliver much-needed clarity to move your potential consumer from interest to action.

These two components of design are responsible for pressing all the right buttons which drive up your conversions.

Conversions here are defined as the taking of a desired action by your target audience. This may be data capture, service subscription, product purchase or referral.

Once you master the design process, you will hopefully move beyond selling technology to selling solutions and highlighting benefits instead of features.

Mbugua is CEO of Symbiotic; Twitter - @mbuguanjihia Web – www.mbuguanjihia.com