The Conversion Code, 2nd Edition

Chapter 2How to Use Your Website to Attract High-Quality Leads

There is a good chance that you have heard (possibly even a nauseating number of times) that “content is king.” What isn't talked about enough, though, is who the queen is. Design is queen.

If you want to attract high-quality leads that are easy to convert, obsess about design.

A design-first mindset is a must when building your website and landing pages (or improving the ones you already have). Why is design so important? Great design builds trust. Trust is why people choose you. Trust is why people send you referrals. Zig Ziglar once said, “If people like you, they'll listen to you. But if they trust you, they'll do business with you.”

Here's what the research tells us about the importance of web design:

• Judgments on a company's credibility are 75% based on the company's website design.¹
• First impressions are 94% design-related.²
• You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression.³
• 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive.⁴

Years ago, I experienced the immediate impact of better design firsthand. I had spent hours and hours obsessing and working on a website called Tech Savvy Agent. There were many sleepless nights designing, building, and customizing it.

It was terrible. My idea of being creative was going completely against common sense and web standards, like using a black background with teal text. Thank God my content was great, and the web design bar ...