Make it simple and readable
Your website shouldn’t resemble an episode of Midsommer Murders. In other words, there should be no mystery for your audience to solve. The main message should be evident instantaneously.
You need to capture their attention and give them value straight away. Make sure your website is easy to read so that anyone skimming your page can understand your brand and product or service.
Your design should be effective and serve a purpose instead of being focused only on aesthetics. The fewer obstacles you put in front of your potential clients, the deeper they can connect with your brand.
The content you put on your website should be short, captivating, and informative. Once you’ve created content for your website, look over it once again and delete anything that isn’t adding value to your website visitors.
That way, you increase your website traffic and get a regular audience, building your long-term brand credibility.
Put the focus on the content
Your websites need to be focused on providing a good user experience. That’s why your content should serve three purposes - educate your audience, engage it and help them convert.
Your potential audience will end up on your website in different ways. Some will do a Google search for a solution for their problem and find your site, some will find you through social media, some through recommendations, and they will all have different levels of awareness of your products and services.
That’s why all your landing pages need to include complete information about your products and services. They need to explain how your products and services are used, who they are for, and have a CTA that lets people buy them.
If you understand your customers, their needs and goals, and the ways they discover you, you’ll be able to create the best types of content for them. That’s why you need to create buyer personas. Those are fictional versions of your perfect customers. They embody your client’s interests, behaviors, lifestyle, and more. The better you zero in on your personas, the better you’ll be able to target them.
It’s essential to be aware of who your audience is, in order to create personalized content. That’s how you’ll get your clients to trust you. The more questions you answer through your website content, the more incentive you’ll give your leads to buy from you.
Make sure to also have landing pages dedicated to content for different stages of your sales pipeline. That could include how-to videos, case studies, and more.
Keep it minimalistic
Your website design should be minimalistic, meaning all the different features you have on your app should work well together, without overcrowding the site.
Keep your design clean and make sure to include whitespace. It should be easy to get through your website to all of your visitors. Certainly, you can always experiment with colors and incorporate brand color into your website as the background.
Another tip is to say goodbye to carousels and sliders. People won’t look at your website for a long time and they will most likely only see the first slide on the slider/carousel. It’s a shame letting your content go to waste so try and avoid these features in your design. If you must include a carousel, make sure there is no call to action on it, instead, put it in a more visible place.
Forget about stock images and videos
Stock images and videos should be a thing of the past once it comes to web design. They don’t feel authentic and since they’re easily recognizable, they won’t help you build trust with your audience.
A far better practice is to use pictures of your own team and partners. Make the photos and videos candid and show the atmosphere in your office, rather than having everyone pose with stacks of paper or pretending to type.
A lot of stock photos nowadays are focused on showing diversity in the workplace and if your office doesn’t reflect those pictures you’ll seem insincere.
Make your site fast
With research showing that a one-second delay in page load can lead to 11% fewer page views, a 16% decrease in customer satisfaction, and 7% loss in conversions, it’s easy to see that the most important thing you can do to improve the user experience on your site is to make it fast.
Fast sites are more enjoyable and will lead to a lower bounce rate and a better ranking in search engine results.
You can speed up your site by:
- choosing the right hosting option;
- reducing the size of your images;
- using only essential plugins;
- splitting comments into pages.
Keep everything mobile-friendly
With the majority of users accessing websites through their phones, it’s easy to see why you need to make your site mobile-friendly. Not only will your audience like this, but Google will as well.
Google displays sites that are mobile optimized on the first page when people search on their smartphones, which is another big push for you to work on making your site mobile-friendly. To achieve that, you should look for a special development platform to create a hybrid mobile application for your website.
You should also make sure that your site has a dark mode. Having two color patterns on your website means your visitors will have a better user experience day and night.
Key takeaways
Making your site client-oriented is the way to go. If you keep their wants and needs in mind and use proper web development services, you’ll create a great site. Make sure that the customer experience is the focus of your website design and performance, rather than marketing needs.
You can get analytics through other platforms, so don’t go overboard with your plugins.
Also, if you want to stand out from the crowd, make sure to implement our tips. With a clean design and fast site, you’re on the right way. When it comes to web design, there really aren't a lot of evergreen aspects that keep getting used over and over. Trends in web design change fast, as do clients’ expectations, which is why you need to keep up with the market demands.
In this article, we’ll share the 6 best design trends to keep your business thriving in 2022. From the structure of your site to the content you’ll put out, we’ll guide you through actionable tips you can easily implement.
Billing Automation for a SaaS Company with Low-Code
Our client needed a robust billing solution to manage hierarchical licenses, ensure compliance, and automate invoicing for streamlined operations.
The solution:
We developed a Retool-based application that supports multi-tiered licenses, automates invoicing workflows, and integrates seamlessly with CRM and accounting platforms to enhance financial data management.
The result:
- Achieved 100% adherence to licensing agreements, mitigating penalties.
- Automated invoicing and workflows reduced manual effort significantly.
- Dashboards and reports improved decision-making and operational visibility.
Retool Dashboards with HubSpot Integration
Our client needed a centralized tool to aggregate account and contact activity, improving visibility and decision-making for the sales team.
The solution
We built a Retool application integrated with HubSpot, QuickMail, and Clay.com. The app features dashboards for sorting, filtering, and detailed views of companies, contacts, and deals, along with real-time notifications and bidirectional data syncing.
The result
- MVP in 50 hours: Delivered a functional application in just 50 hours.
- Smarter decisions: Enabled data-driven insights for strategic planning.
- Streamlined operations: Reduced manual tasks with automation and real-time updates.
Lead Generation Tool to Reduce Manual Work
Our client, Afore Capital, a venture capital firm focused on pre-seed investments, aimed to automate their lead generation processes but struggled with existing out-of-the-box solutions. To tackle this challenge, they sought assistance from our team of Akveo Retool experts.
The scope of work
The client needed a tailored solution to log and track inbound deals effectively. They required an application that could facilitate the addition, viewing, and editing of company and founder information, ensuring data integrity and preventing duplicates. Additionally, Afore Capital aimed to integrate external tools like PhantomBuster and LinkedIn to streamline data collection.
The result
By developing a custom Retool application, we streamlined the lead generation process, significantly reducing manual data entry. The application enabled employees to manage inbound deals efficiently while automated workflows for email parsing, notifications, and dynamic reporting enhanced operational efficiency. This allowed Afore Capital's team to focus more on building relationships with potential founders rather than on administrative tasks.
Learn more about the case
Retool CMS Application for EdTech Startup
Our client, CutTime, a leading fine arts education management platform, needed a scalable CMS application to improve vendor product management and user experience.
The scope of work
We developed a Retool application that allows vendors to easily upload and manage product listings, handle inventory, and set shipping options. The challenge was to integrate the app with the client’s system, enabling smooth authentication and product management for program directors.
The result
Our solution streamlined product management, reducing manual work for vendors, and significantly improving operational efficiency.
Building Reconciliation Tool for e-commerce company
Our client was in need of streamlining and simplifying its monthly accounting reconciliation process – preferably automatically. But with a lack of time and low budget for a custom build, development of a comprehensive software wasn’t in the picture. After going through the case and customer’s needs, we decided to implement Retool. And that was the right choice.
The scope of work
Our team developed a custom reconciliation tool designed specifically for the needs of high-volume transaction environments. It automated the processes and provided a comprehensive dashboard for monitoring discrepancies and anomalies in real-time.
The implementation of Retool significantly reduced manual effort, as well as fostered a more efficient and time-saving reconciliation process.
Creating Retool Mobile App for a Wine Seller
A leading spirits and wine seller in Europe required the development of an internal mobile app for private client managers and administrators. The project was supposed to be done in 1,5 months. Considering urgency and the scope of work, our developers decided to use Retool for swift and effective development.
The scope of work
Our developers built a mobile application tailored to the needs of the company's sales force: with a comprehensive overview of client interactions, facilitated order processing, and enabled access to sales history and performance metrics. It was user-friendly, with real-time updates, seamlessly integrated with existing customer databases.
The result? Increase in productivity of the sales team and improved decision-making process. But most importantly, positive feedback from the customers themselves.
Developing PoC with Low Code for a Tour Operator
To efficiently gather, centralize, and manage data is a challenge for any tour operator. Our client was not an exception. The company was seeking to get an internal software that will source information from third-party APIs and automate the travel itinerary creation process. Preferably, cost- and user-friendly tool.
The scope of work
Our experts ensured the client that all the requirements could be covered by Retool. And just in 40 hours a new software was launched. The tool had a flexible and easy-to-use interface with user authentication and an access management system panel – all the company needed. At the end, Retool was considered the main tool to replace the existing system.
Testing New Generation of Lead Management Tool with Retool
Our client, a venture fund, had challenges with managing lead generation and client acquisition. As the company grew, it aimed to attract more clients and scale faster, as well as automate the processes to save time, improve efficiency and minimize human error. The idea was to craft an internal lead generation tool that will cover all the needs. We’ve agreed that Retool will be a perfect tool for this.
The scope of work
The project initially began as a proof of concept, but soon enough, with each new feature delivered, the company experienced increased engagement and value.
We developed a web tool that integrates seamlessly with Phantombuster for data extraction and LinkedIn for social outreach. Now, the company has a platform that elevates the efficiency of their lead generation activities and provides deep insights into potential client bases.
Building an Advanced Admin Portal for Streamlined Operations
Confronted with the need for more sophisticated internal tools, an owner of IP Licensing marketplace turned to Retool to utilize its administrative functions. The primary goal was to construct an advanced admin portal that could support complex, multi-layered processes efficiently.
The scope of work
Our client needed help with updating filters and tables for its internal platform. In just 30 hours we've been able to update and create about 6 pages. Following features were introduced: add complex filtering and search, delete records, styling application with custom CSS.
Together, we have increased performance on most heavy pages and fixed circular dependency issues.
Creating MVP Dashboard for Google Cloud Users
Facing the challenge of unoptimized cloud resource management, a technology firm working with Google Cloud users was looking for a solution to make its operations more efficient. The main idea of the project was to create an MVP for e-commerce shops to test some client hypotheses. Traditional cloud management tools fell short.
The scope of work
Determined to break through limitations, our team of developers turned Retool. We decided to craft an MVP Dashboard specifically for Google Cloud users. This wasn't just about bringing data into view; but about reshaping how teams interact with their cloud environment.
We designed a dashboard that turned complex cloud data into a clear, strategic asset thanks to comprehensive analytics, tailored metrics, and an intuitive interface, that Retool provides. As the results, an increase in operational efficiency, significant improvement in cost management and resource optimization.
Elevating CRM with Custom HubSpot Sales Dashboard
Our other client, a SaaS startup, that offers collaborative tools for design and engineering teams, was on a quest to supercharge their sales efforts. Traditional CRM systems were limited and not customizable enough. The company sought a solution that could tailor HubSpot to their workflow and analytics needs.
The scope of work
Charged with the task of going beyond standard CRM functions, our team turned to Retool. We wanted to redefine how sales teams interact with their CRM.
By integrating advanced analytics, custom metrics, and a user-friendly interface, our developers provided a solution that transformed data into a strategic asset.
In 40 hours, three informative dashboards were developed, containing the most sensitive data related to sales activities. These dashboards enable our customer to analyze sales and lead generation performance from a different perspective and establish the appropriate KPIs.
Building a PDF Editor with Low-Code
Our client, a leading digital credential IT startup, needed a lot of internal processes to be optimized. But the experience with low-code tools wasn’t sufficient. That’s why the company decided to hire professionals. And our team of developers joined the project.
The scope of work
The client has a program that designs and prints custom badges for customers. The badges need to be “mail-merged” with a person’s info and turned into a PDF to print. But what is the best way to do it?
Our developers decided to use Retool as a core tool. Using custom components and JavaScript, we developed a program that reduced employees' time for designing, putting the data, verifying, and printing PDF badges in one application.
As a result, the new approach significantly reduces the time required by the internal team to organize all the necessary staff for the conference, including badge creation.
