Definition
Attention is selective and our brains are not designed for multi-tasking. Users can pay attention to only one thing and ignore everything else if you give them specific instructions. However, a person’s unconscious continuously scans the environment for certain things including danger, movement and their name. An optimised webpage will capture and hold attention by avoiding clutter that can distract and will clearly direct visitors towards the conversion goal.
How to Optimise for Attention
An optimised webpage minimises distractions, ensuring visitors remain engaged towards the conversion goal. By providing a clear pathway, you enhance the user’s ability to process and engage with the content you want them to see.
For instance, too many banner-like assets on a page, like this example from Cheekybingo.com, can be a big distraction for visitors. People get confused by too much clutter and are more likely to bounce. For new visitors a landing page would perform better than the homepage as this can focus on a single call-to-action.
Landing Pages vs. Homepages
A dedicated landing page performs better than the homepage, as it can be designed with a singular focus or call-to-action (CTA). Where the homepage addresses the needs of various user segments, a landing page can cater specifically to one goal, which minimises distractions.
Conclusion
By creating pages that are free from clutter and have a clear purpose, you can improve user experience and drive higher conversion rates. Users can only focus on one task at a time, so make sure it’s the right one.
Resources:
Conversion marketing – Glossary of Conversion Marketing.
Over 300 tools reviewed – Digital Marketing Toolbox.
Credit:
Attention icons created by logisstudio – Flaticon
Featured image: Freeimages
