The Importance of Good Web Design

The role of your website

In a world where people remain online for most of the day, a normal website just does not cut it. Based on the product, up to 83 percent of customers visit a business’s or service provider’s site before making a purchase. And as an increasing number of consumers make choices based on their internet experience, the look, usability, and accessibility of your site is more important than ever, especially if you’re in a competitive industry.

Having a good understanding of your site’s function can greatly benefit your company. Consider it as an extension of your sales staff. In precisely the same manner that you would not send out a dishevelled salesman to represent your organisation, neither would you send out an unremarkable site to the consumer who’s specifically looking for your service or product.

Working on a site is the perfect time to take into account the rest of your branding as well — message, colour palette, and logo design. The worst thing you can do is invest in a well-built, cellular friendly site, rather than have the correct design elements to make the site stand out visually.

Evaluating your site

We mentioned earlier that your site is an extension of your team, and just like you formally evaluate your staff on a yearly basis, you should do something similar for your website. Recommendations vary, but most agree that every 2-3 years you should think about upgrading the design of your site. Nevertheless, you also need to be making tweaks to the site throughout the year — provide new information, update pictures, and include any new products, services, or staff members — that is easy, routine maintenance.

Here are a few things to consider when evaluating your site:

  • Have you added any products or services?
  • Has your target market shifted — enlarged or tightened?
  • Have your competitors made new sites or branding which is more powerful than yours?
  • How can you rank on search engines for the products or services you provide?
  • Is your site mobile and tablet combatable?
  • Is the overall design current and fresh?
  • Is it effortless for you to make tiny adjustments to your website?

If you answered yes to only a couple of these questions, it is probably time to think about a new website.

New technology

In 2013 a significant shift in website design happened — Responsive Website Design (RWD) arrived. RWD allows your site to automatically resize and reconfigure its design depending on the device it’s being viewed on. So, if a consumer is viewing your site on their desktop, their tablet, or their mobile, they’re seeing the suitable version. The reason this is great news is that it has eliminated the need for providing two sites — a desktop site and a mobile site. This cuts costs and saves you time.

If your current web design isn’t responsive, you should think about the possible downside to this. If your website isn’t mobile friendly or combatable, you’re potentially losing out on many customers.

Another attribute, though not quite as fresh, is Content Management System Websites (CMS). These sites use a platform which allows the owner to easily make changes to the site with no software — just an online browser. The days of relying on website designers to create every little change to your site are over, which is very good news. This means keeping your site fresh and up-to-date with current information is easier than ever.

If you are thinking of a new site, these are the first two questions you should ask a web design agency — is it responsive and can it be constructed with a CMS?

Search Engine Optimisation

With over 650 million websites, and another 51 million added annually, there’s loads of internet contest for your services. We looked at a couple of ways to make your site stand out visually, however there are also ways to help it stand out on search engines. Being on the first page of a Google search for your services is imperative to your online conversions.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is what helps your site rank well with search engines. There are lots of search engine optimisation services which may be carried out on your site, both one time and ongoing. That is another factor you need to consider when building a site; much of the search engine optimisation work is completed during the website build, so make certain to ask early.

It’s as important as a business card

Having a business card has been necessary for many, many years. Websites are now just as essential. It now a significant element to the customer’s decision-making. Even if they learn about your organisation via a trusted referral, in a sponsored event, or in a meeting with you, before they make a final decision they’ll visit your website. Make sure it looks good, works well, and clearly communicates your company’s goals.