Why web design is important…
Your web design is simply vital.
Your website is easily one of the most important aspects of your brand’s online presence.
It is important that you design it the right way.
Your website is also the place where you nurture your bottom-of-the-funnel leads to get conversions.
So, you can’t afford any failures in your website that might cause your prospects to bounce off your website. A great article on website fails can be found here.
Your website should be designed in a way that keeps your audience in mind, it should also ensure that it provides a good user experience.
There are a lot of other benefits of a good website design for both your business and your audience.
In this post, we will discuss why good website design is important from your audience’s perspective in order to drive conversions through your website and turn it into a lead generating machine!
Brand image
Your website is a reflection of your brand and everything that it stands for.
It is usually one of the first things people look at to get to know a brand and therefore helps form the first impression.
Your website design elements, like colours, fonts, images, etc. all form your brand identity.
Therefore, you need to select those elements carefully and keep them consistent across your website.
It amazes me the number of new projects I launch where there existing/old website has zero relection on them as a business.
We strive to fix that.
Look at the homepage for Pepsi as an example:
You can clearly see how the brand has used its identity within the website. The red, the blue, the big bold text all on a dark background.
Red, white and blue are the colours of the brands logo, packaging of their traditional Pepsi can’s and a lot of other brand elements.
The website maintains this consistency because these colours and stylings represent the brand and people associate these with the company.
Here are some of the web design elements that you should select carefully and then use consistently.
Colour
If you already have some colours which are associated with your company logo, you should definitely use these across your website.
If you don’t, then use this article on colour association to help.
For example, if you want to associate your brand with trust, then you should use the colour blue.
If you want consumers to think that your brand produces high-quality products, then the colour black can help you form that image.
Similarly, depending on what brand associations you want to form, you can select your brand colours.
Layout
As a general rule, keep your layout simple, clean and designed in a way that draws attention to what we call call-to-actions (CTA).
The number of menu items should be based on your audience preferences. Divide your menu into sub-menus to create a cleaner looking design.
You can experiment with a few different layouts and conduct split testing to understand what works best with your audience.
Here’s an example of a cluttered website which will have drastic effects on their performance:
And an example of a website with a much cleaner layout and clear call-to-action:
Fonts and typography
The general rule for selecting a font is that it should be easy-to-read and clearly visible on the background colour that you selected.
Your font should also reflect your brand personality and whether you want to look professional or fun and youthful.
An example of a website which uses typography in a fun and creative way, but works perfectly:
Site navigation
One of the biggest benefits of a good website design is that your target audience can navigate the website easily.
The ultimate goal of any visitor coming onto a website is to quickly find the information that they are looking for.
Your website design should make that process easier and help visitors navigate your website without getting lost.
The more user-friendly your website is, the more likely it is that people will engage with your content and take the desired action.
A good website design should aim to provide the best user experience, which ultimately translates into conversions.
A prime example would be Airbnb…
Airbnb have a very simple, yet engaging website design where you can find just about everything right from the get-go on the homepage.
As you scroll down the page, you will find more destinations to explore. From top-rated Airbnb stays to travel recommendations, you have it all!
So, if you know where you want to go, you can simply make a booking from the top of the page.
If you’re just exploring your options, you can simply browse through and get inspiration for your next trip.
See how brilliant that user experience strategy is? Airbnb does not just make it easy for people to book stays but also encourages them to plan a trip if they’re not yet sure! Simple, yet amazing!
All of that can be done right from the homepage. No messy drop-down menus, no page hierarchies, just a clean and simple all-you-need-to-know kind of design.
Conclusion
Website design is an important matter and should not be taken looked past by any business. A well-designed website can help you form a good, and long-lasting impression on your prospective customers.
It can also help you nurture your leads and get more conversions.
But, more importantly, it provides good user experience and helps your website visitors access and navigate your website with ease.
So, if you are looking for designers to create your website, vet them well and ensure that they are capable of designing user-friendly and accessible websites.
If you already have a website, you can always conduct a site audit and optimise it to provide a better user experience and to improve accessibility.
Get in touch with the team at SmartaStudio and discover ways in which we can help improve your website design to drive those conversions!
Business is about relationships and great customer service. When you meet a customer face to face you engage, build trust and educate if required. This is great customer service.
Your website is the online equivalent of building a relationship with your customers. By engaging, educating and nurturing customers they are more likely to buy from you and keep coming back.
Why settle for a good website when you can have a great website? Let’s dive in on what makes a great website.
So what are the key points to look for to ensure your website can achieve online marketing greatness?
Great design
First impressions count and your website should be no different.
- A professional design that fits your branding and makes that great first impression
- Triggers emotion in your visitors
- Photos should be professional and optimised for web
For example, if you’re a restaurant:
- It should be easy to see your menu (with up to date prices)
- Open times and contact details
- Include professional photos of your food that looks appetising
- A clickable phone number also makes it even easier to order (call to action)
Strategy
Understanding who your customers are and what they want is crucial to a successful website.
A good strategy will enable you to match your customers needs in the simplest manner, making it as easy as possible for them to find what they need, making conversion as easy as possible.
Engagement
Whether your website is informational or transactional (eCommerce), it starts the sales process from the very first moment your customers visit your website. An engaging website will turn a bounced visit into a potential new customer.
Using the right imagery, language, tone and design are all ways to engage your customers from the moment they first visit your website.
User experience
Knowing who your customers are and what they want will allow you to tailor your website to create a great user experience:
- Easy to navigate, with clear sections and call to actions
- Information should be easy to find
- Content is well written, helpful and easy to understand
- Your website loads quickly
Search
Search engines provide a path to your website via either paid advertising or organic search results. A strategy that combines the use of both paid and organic search channels often provides the best results depending on your competition and target market. This means creating content that is relevant and engaging for your audience.
Social proof
If it’s great for a group of others then it’s going to be great for me too. This is the way social proof works, by building trust and authority. The very presence of social proof makes a business more trustworthy because, by definition, social proof comes from other customers. These serve as endorsements that this person, company, service, or product is great, and that the overall customer journey has other happy customers.
What are some examples of social proof?
- Social likes and shares
- Customer reviews
- Testimonials
- Case studies
- Trust signals (e.g. association logos, memberships, licences)
- Celebrity or influencer endorsements
Website optimisation
Business is fluid. What works today may not work tomorrow. This is why ongoing optimisation is so important.
What does optimisation involve? Some examples are:
- Reviewing your content periodically (e.g. daily, weekly or quarterly depending on your business and audience)
- Regularly reviewing your visitors and how they are interacting with your website. Tip: Google Analytics is a great way to track your website visitors, with customised reports available
- Monitoring and optimising your paid advertising (e.g. Google Adwords)
- Social proof – Instagram feed, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube channel
- Reviews – Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, Google reviews
- Regular maintenance to ensure your website is secure and loading quickly
Key takeaway – a good website gives you an online presence. A great website builds trust and engages your customers.
Don’t skimp on a great website – it may cost you a lot more in lost business. By investing in a great strategy and understanding your customer’s needs, you will end up with a website that forms the foundation for your online marketing.
Get in touch today with the team at SmartaStudio and turn your website into one your customers, potentials and the entire industry will remember.
