A.) Blocks
Think of a block as a section of the website that serves a purpose. For instance, when you visit Tuts Plus, you will notice the right side serves the purpose of allowing you to view content by topic while also searching their existing articles.
The top provides you with a simple navigation and the bottom provides you with the ability to explore their network of sister websites while also navigating the website. You will also notice that they do a good job in working to upsell their memberships to those who browse the free content. A separate ‘block’ is used, directly above the footer, to sell their membership which offers many tutorials and e-books.
Unlike an ‘art house’ website that is dependent on design, a website like this is kept very simple but because of their bright and unique colors it catches your attention and is pleasant to look at. Make no mistake, these are professionals and they know what they are doing.
Note: Pay attention to their homepage. Usually in ‘module based’ designs the home page has a block at the top of the page reserved for a slider. In their home page that section is dedicated to selling you on the benefits of their membership while using a video to help sell
2.) Use of Tabs
If you go to their ‘ebooks’ section you will notice 4 tabs at the top of the page:
Courses
Tutorials
Ebooks
Source files
Tabs are becoming a very popular way to distribute either a large amount of useful information, or resources, without the user having to leave the actual web page. Tabs are a tremendous way to give content to your viewer while limiting bandwidth.
If you look at the tabs carefully you will notice that the background matches the main content background, and sidebar background, while also highlighting, in bold, the tab which you have clicked on. So if you click on “Ebooks” you will see the title “Ebooks” stand out from the other tabs.
While this may seem simple it is very important – you want to make navigation as easy as possible for the user while creating a ‘clutter free’ experience that does not overwhelm the user with too many colors, too much text and too many images.
This is one of the cleanest and most efficient websites that I know of and they are proof that content and ease of use will always prove more valuable to a business themed website than an expensive design that either does too much or overwhelms the user with too many functions to navigate through.
3.) Tremendous Sales System
One thing I love about Tuts Plus and their network of sites is that they deliver a lot of great free content. They do not just give away a few articles and then ask you to pay for an expensive membership. Their network of websites give more content away than most membership sites can dream of. And make no mistake, they know how to hook you.
One lesson that can be learned from this website is that content is king. The more you give the more you will receive. People will do business with you if they feel you are willing to give them something in return. If you go to their homepage you notice a 3 column list of bullets that highlight the benefits of the membership while also showing a testimonial including a link to more testimonials.
The top section of this block allows you to view a video that gives you even more detail into their offer. From a design standpoint this is incredibly easy to view as there is not an overwhelming amount of information because they allow the video and tour (as well as testimonials) to do the selling for them.
While this article is mostly focused on design I cannot stress enough the importance of a logical sales system that is easy to navigate and powerful in execution. Would you not agree that a simple list of bullets, a video and testimonials, as well as a tour that provides you with content, is a better way to sell a membership than a long sales letter or ‘tease content’ that is cut short and made available only to members?
Even if there are more benefits to this service you are not forced to view them all on one page and the home page forces you to take action and learn more. It makes the user proactive instead of reactive. This gives a user full control of their experience while also having a ‘car keys in hand/test drive’ affect on them.
Summary:
If you are looking to sell memberships or information or even highlight a special product, using Magento, for example, would allow you to do just that. You can replace a slider with a content box that can play a video and you can gather feedback from customers (or use a reviews section) and let them do the selling.
If you make your design easy to navigate and give users the ability to gain control of the situation, instead of just throwing up a shopping cart with products or a long sales letter, and you choose a limited number of colors that work well together, you will most likely find a major increase in sales and repeat viewership. Take a tour of their website and see for yourself how you can apply their methods to your own website. Should you have any questions or if you would like to learn how we can do the same for you, please contact us and let us know how we can help you.
Magento Development Lead
