What is website design?
But what is great website design? Great website design encompasses and considers all aspect of the website build, not just how it looks. From strategy and content to how the website navigates and operates are all part and parcel of its design (although looks are really important too). A poorly considered and badly designed website can lose audiences within seconds.
So here’s how great design helps you avoid falling into that trap and even better, will proactively help you capture leads and gain new clients.
Five reasons why good website design is critical to business
1. First impressions
Before visitors read anything on your website, their brain registers how it looks. Yes folks, first impressions do count. Your business is absolutely judged in those first few seconds before any word is even read. The impression your website makes can make or break a sale. It can persuade a potential client to remain on your site to learn more about what your business or service offers – or it can make them leave for another (competitor’s) website. Beautiful design impacts how your audience perceives your brand before anything else – and helps keep them reading on. Put simply, good design means you are more likely to win a new client or contract.
2. Building trust
People don’t trust poorly design websites and, inevitably, that reflects on your business. If a future client sees what they consider to be a weak or outdated design, or are frustrated by poor navigation or loading times, they question whether they want to work with that company. You know that what you offer is of value. Let your website demonstrate that. A professional-looking, well-designed website signals authority and builds trust with your audience. They’ll feel comfortable investigating further and seeing what your business has to offer. And the longer visitors remain on your site, the more more opportunities are created for your business to capture those leads.
3. Creating consistency
Good, thoughtful design creates consistency. And consistency creates a professional impression. When you’re trying to build your business, you want to build up your brand. You need your audience to feel familiar with your brand and to trust it so they choose your company to work with rather than a competitor. And consistency doesn’t just mean using your logo and the the same fonts and colours, you need a consistent layout and style across every page of your website, with an integrity at its core. There has to be a design why, a reason for how things are laid out, or styled they way they are. These things all represent you and your business – and make it instantly recognisable.
4. Easy navigation
Good website design isn’t just about how a website looks. Once your potential client has decided to investigate your services or products further, you don’t want them to struggle to find the information they need. An intuitive and user-friendly navigation system needs to be in place. Audience attention spans are short. Your potential client needs to be able to find the right information quickly and easily. If your navigation isn’t well-designed, you’ll lose them. A properly designed navigation will help them find the information they need.
5. SEO
Yes, SEO is a part of design! Design is so much more than just looks and we agree, SEO might not initially seem integral to the design, but it is in fact one of the most crucial aspects to consider. A website design may look great on the screen, but if it has code that isn’t SEO-friendly or too many large images or videos that make it slow to load, that will negatively impact its SEO rankings (as well as drive customers away). The design of a website, prompted by demands and desires from clients, can sometimes get carried away with fancy animations or technologies. These might look great or be conceptually interesting, but can also negatively impact the optimisation of a site. If your website’s SEO basics are place, you’re on the right track. It’s a fine balance.
Intelligent website design
The design of your website is critical in its impact on customer experience, lead generation, conversions, and ultimately your bottom line. At Individualise we seamlessly marry technical know-how with intelligent design skills. We balance all the different elements you need to create a great website that reflects and showcases your brand to both existing and potential clients.
If you want a great website where design works in line with your business values to connect your brand with customers, then book in for a free, no-obligation discovery call and let’s see how we can help.
