Directional cues, whether they are subtle or explicit, influence the focus and attention of a visitor. A cue can lead a person towards the link or page you want them to visit to improve conversion rates. You want to control where visitors go when they land on your pages.
C1 Partners and other experts on website design, particularly those from Denver, cites the following strategies on how you can leverage directional cues to boost conversion rates.
Use White Space
Some say that people identify statistical outliers easily. This idea is similar to color contrast that when a particular segment is different from its surroundings, it stands out. This is when you use white space to your advantage and direct the attention of a visitor. When you add space around a button or a form, it begins to contrast with the other elements on the page and makes it more noticeable. Contrast the call-to-action of your page using negative space to lead a visitor to make a decision.
Direct with the Eyes
People are conscious of eyes looking at them, whether it is a few inches or from several feet away. As a website owner, you can use this concept to draw attention to your buttons or certain parts of your site. If a webpage has the photo of a person, that photograph will most likely be the first thing that a visitor will look at; and once he or she does, they will be curious as to what that image is looking at. This will direct their attention towards what you want them to see.
Arrows and Lines
This is the most common form of a directional cue and is the most explicit. You have a higher chance of getting a conversion if you make your intentions obvious. Contrast the color of the lines and arrows you use with the webpage to make them stand out. Determine if visitors respond better to upward or downward arrows.
These are directional cues that may mean the difference between a visitor that just passes through from someone that converts. Implement these to get the results you want and drive more traffic to other pages on your site.