In my last article I gave you a framework for powering up your web design using headlines. Most web pages have a headline and it’s important that you use your headlines to maximum effect. In this article I’ll give you Three Headline Strategies to Maximise Your Web Design.

Your web designer will keep banging on about how you have 8 seconds to grab their attention. This isn’t necessarily true, according to some studies it’s less than this!

In order to grab their attention it’s important that your web design provides visual clues. I discussed this in the previous article. In short by ‘visual clues’ I’m talking about anything you can see gives a visual indication of what the page is about. This could be (among others) images, animation, bold text or a headline.

Headlines are important, as we’ve discussed, but headlines come in different styles. Here are three different headline styles that will help you grab your web visitors attention and encourage your readers to read on.

The ‘How to’ Headline

The how to headline is great for articles that offer a single piece of exciting information, like ‘How to increase your sales by 200%’, or ‘How to lose 10 pounds in 10 days’

These headline types have great s success on the web, especially if the page has the ‘how to’ headline as the page title as well. The searcher finds your ‘how to’ article in Google, clicks the link and sees the headline straight away. They know they’re in the right place and they’ll read on.

DO: Put an important part of the ‘how to’ in the first paragraph else these types of visitors will bounce straight off your web page.

DON’T: Use this technique to often or else your website does start to sound like an American cheesy TV infomercial.

The ‘Question’ Headline

The question headline works well when your article solves a problem. Your headline can then ask the reader how great it would be if only they could solve that problem. This headline technique can work with similar articles that the ‘how to’ headline works with.

For example you could ask, ‘Wouldn’t you like to lose 10 pounds in 10 days?’ or ‘Isn’t there an easier way to lose weight quickly?’

Marketers will always tell you to consider the inherent drama of your product or service. Why is your product being made and bought and sold? Identify the drama within your product and work it into your piece.

Stick to the inherent drama of your piece and the question headline will work a treat, but again, you can end up sounding like an infomercial if you overuse the technique.

The Command Headline

Your command headline zeros in on the key benefit that your product offers. The inherent drama is about the feelings and emotions that are brought to the surface when your product is discussed, but the command headline focuses on that single undeniable benefit that your product carry’s.

A couple of examples might be “Get the manageable hair you deserve” or “Don’t Worry About Breakdowns, Get Roadside Assist Today!”

It could be that your product guarantees great results, better looking hair or trouble free motoring, whatever the benefit is, identify it and work it into your next headline.

About the Web Designer

Phil Brassington is a Staffordshire Web Designer who is a director at Rake Mark Solutions, a Staffordshire Web Design company. He graduated from Staffordshire University with a first class honors degree in Computing Science, the first member of his family to earn a university degree.

He lives in Stafford with his wife, three kids and a rabbit named Flopsy.

Rake Mark Web Design has been providing web design in Staffordshire and across the UK for over five years.