Irwin Hau is Director at Chromatix, an award-winning web design and conversion agency based in Melbourne. Hau also has a MarTech SaaS company specializing in improving website conversions called ConversionCow. A skilled conversion design specialist, Hau focuses on the fundamentals of user engagement—copy, layout and design—to help companies speed up the sales process and deliver an exceptional experience.
Design and Psychology Behind a Website
People have predicted for years that websites would eventually become obsolete, especially due to the proliferation of apps and now AI. That said, website design and development need to adapt in order to remain relevant.
One thing that sets Chromatix apart from other agencies is their mastery of designing websites that excel. By viewing a site through the lens of human psychology and human behavior, they’re able to understand and engage their customers, and their needs, on a deeper level.
“Helping the user is a fantastic thing but we also want to help the business owner,” Hau says, noting that the website is actually your best salesperson. “As a business owner, I don’t make money by you looking at my website. I make money when you call me.”
Sales teams can engage potential customers even further by using a pattern interrupt technique, which can change customer behaviors and redirect decisions through communications such as email and even cold calls.
The Conversion Equation
Chromatix works with clients to increase their chances of acquiring more leads and obtaining a higher conversion rate to streamline and refine the sales cycle.
According to Hau, there is an effective marketing formula that clients can follow in order to attract customers and increase those leads. The three factors include a clean layout; engaging web design; and quality copy/content.
“We want to reduce the bounce rate,” Hau says. “We want someone to linger and stay if they’re interested. They’ll go through all the different pages and find what they need.”
The Conversion Framework
Hau’s second company, ConversionCow, is a web conversion framework that blends engaging web design with technical development and real-time data, which can then be customized for different clients.
He cites four questions that clients need to answer before deciding to convert their website, and likens this to things you might ask someone on a first date (maybe):
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- What’s your proof?
- Can I get your number?
You need to go through the process from the first step, which eventually governs the entire decision making process. For example, you can make potential customers more comfortable by sharing things like testimonials and company values, and having an FAQ page. Building trust with customers can significantly boost sales and conversions.
Case Study
In 2021, Chromatix partnered with WP Engine to help develop an e-commerce solution for Miss Biscuit, an online cookie community offering decorating classes and supplies. By migrating the site to WP Engine’s WooCommerce platform, their website’s speed and scalability increased while page load time dropped, optimizing overall site performance.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when redesigning a website is not to fill it up with unnecessary features. “It’s like when you have a lot of room in a house and a client says, I just need to fill it with stuff,” Hau says. “Why? Because it just feels empty.”
When explaining why Chromatix chose WP Engine for Miss Biscuit, Hau said, “There’s a lot of traffic coming to that website. We can’t have a website go down. WP Engine was fantastic in supporting the security and the speed, and keeping up to date.”
To learn more about Chromatix, visit their Melbourne website and follow them on Facebook and on Twitter at @chromatixau. To keep up with Irwin Hau, visit his personal website and follow him on LinkedIn.
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