StoryBrand Website Design: 4 Tips for a Site That Converts

4 StoryBrand Website Design Tips for Optimizing Your Website******** Every business wants a website that will promise a high conversion rate, but many fall short. Do you know why? We believe it's because they don't follow our StoryBrand website design style.

A StoryBrand style website is critical because it offers your prospects an experience where they feel comfortable and know exactly what to do. What's more, is they take the actions you want them to take because it all feels effortless.

With a StoryBrand website, you'll finally attract the customers you want and repel the ones you don't.

1. Key Elements in a StoryBrand Website

There are several critical elements in a StoryBrand website. There's a reason for each one, and if you're missing any, you're also missing valuable conversions.

Header

The header to your website is critical. It should be crystal clear about what you offer within seconds of someone visiting your website. If it's not clear, you need to revise your header so people know what service or product you're providing.

Calls to Action

Calls to action are also known as CTAs. These are the buttons or links you see on a website that allows people to take action on your site. They're the buttons that say "Buy Now" or "Learn More," and each tells your prospect what to do. If you don't explicitly tell visitors what action they should take, they won't do what you want.

Clarify Throughout

There's a reason so many people so passionately adore Marie Kondo. She's clear and helps others learn what clarity means. It turns out that she's often right because people don't usually like clutter - physical or digital. Having digital clutter on your site makes it impossible for people to enjoy, so being clear about everything is vital to your site's success.

Your Plan

Customers like to know what they're getting into, so you need to be clear about what your plan is on your website. Laying out your plan, process, and services lets customers know what their experience will be like when they work with you.

Social Proof/Testimonials

Social proof is a buzzphrase in the copywriting and web design world. It's nothing more than testimonials or case studies about what you did for someone else, quotes from happy customers, and other success stories. These testimonials let prospects know that other people have used your services or products and that they should, too.

2. A Clean Website Design

People don't typically like a complex web design. If it's too busy, they're not going to stick around for long. With that in mind, you need to pay attention to the sidebar and layout. Consider saying goodbye to the sidebar and instead choosing a single-column design. This allows for a complete focus on what you're offering.

When you're thinking about your layout, you don't want to go with a design that's new and different or entirely unique. If it's too different, people won't want to spend too much time on your site. Instead, choose a familiar layout because people like knowing what to expect.

Wireframe your site if you're designing it yourself. That means you create the layout in black and white so you can clearly see the white space relative to the content you'll be sharing with your customers.

3. Speedy Loading

You might think it's a no-brainer, but a fast-loading website really is important to your success. Don't do the carousels, videos, or too many graphics because all that does is add to the time it takes for your website to load.

Ideally, you want your website to be as fast as realistically possible. Remember - since users care, so do the search engines. Having a slow website can further downplay your rankings, so having a quick-loading site must be a priority for every business.

4. Engage Across Your Site

Calls to action should be all over your site, but not in an overwhelming kind of way. You don't want to put all of your calls to action as the first thing visitors see because most people aren't ready to take action as soon as they land on your site. At the same time, your primary CTA should be bold and easy to recognize quickly.

Instead, place the CTAs strategically in various places on your site. A StoryBrand website design suggests CTAs should contain language that tells your customer precisely what will happen when they click on it.

Transitional CTAs, which happen further down the page, should work together with the primary CTA but not be quite as bold. Appearance makes a difference because it can look less risky than your primary one and still achieve the same goal. Building a StoryBrand Website********

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Your website is quite literally the face of your business as it's what people see when they start searching for what you offer. The StoryBrand framework allows you to design a website that will help you achieve the goals you're pursuing.

Of course, if you'd rather have someone do it for you, here at Lantern Marketing, we're a StoryBrand Certified Agency, and we can build the site you want. Schedule a call to learn more about what we can do for you or answer any questions you might have.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is StoryBrand website design? StoryBrand website design applies Donald Miller's StoryBrand framework to a website's structure and copy. The core idea is that your customer is the hero of the story, not your company. Your website exists to show visitors you understand their problem, that you have a solution, and that you can guide them toward a clear outcome. In practical terms, that means a homepage with a direct headline, a visible call to action, a simple plan, and social proof, in that order.

What should go in the hero section of a StoryBrand website? Three things: what you offer, who it's for, and what to do next. A visitor should be able to glance at your header and answer those three questions in under five seconds. "We help West Michigan homeowners replace their roof without the insurance headache" paired with a "Get a Free Estimate" button is a hero section. "Welcome to our website, where quality meets excellence" is not.

How many calls to action should a StoryBrand homepage have? At least three placements of your primary CTA, spread throughout the page. Most StoryBrand sites use a direct CTA (like "Schedule a Call") and a transitional CTA (like "Download Our Free Guide") to give visitors who aren't ready to buy a lower-commitment next step. The primary button should show up near the top of the page, in the middle, and at the bottom. Visitors shouldn't have to scroll back up to find it.

Does a StoryBrand website need testimonials? Yes. Social proof is one of the core elements of the framework because visitors arrive with doubt, not trust. A few specific testimonials near your primary call to action reduce the perceived risk of reaching out. "They replaced my roof in two days and handled everything with my insurance company" is far more useful than "Great company, highly recommend." Specificity is what builds confidence.

How is a StoryBrand website different from a regular business website? Most business websites are written from the company's perspective: who we are, what we do, how long we've been around. A StoryBrand website is written from the customer's perspective: here's your problem, here's what life looks like if it stays unsolved, here's how we guide you to a better outcome. The company's credentials show up as supporting evidence, not the main story. That shift in perspective is the whole game.