Your website is the hub of everything that has to do with your business.
It bridges the gap between your customers and the solutions you have to offer in the marketplace.
Web design is important because it communicates effectively what you have to offer to the world in 5 seconds or less.
A well-designed website is an invaluable asset and is like having a sales team working around the clock 24/7, 365 days out of the year.
When laid out correctly, a well-designed website will answer all of your customers’ objections and assist them through every part of their journey.
With everything laid in a way that makes people want to learn more, the sales process becomes a lot less invasive and way more enjoyable for the consumer.
However, having a website is only the beginning here.
Yes, it is essential to have a website, but it is equally important to have a functional website as designed so that people want to use it.
Today we will be talking about why design is important for your business and solidifies some necessary details for you to keep in mind as you continue running about improving your online customers’ experience through web design.
Web Design Influences First Impressions
First impressions set the tone for the entirety of your relationship with new people.
Your online first impression is no different.
People will judge your entire business the instant they first come into contact with your website.
The impression left on your website visitors will be there forever, meaning that once someone has a story in their mind about who you are and what your brand stands for, it’s hard and nearly impossible to change someone’s interpretation of the story.
The moment someone catches wind that your website is scammy, they are most likely going to turn around and run for the hills, never to return.
Good web design conveys respect and trust.
For instance, stay away from using too many ads and pop-ups on your website; this will make visitors feel overwhelmed and unwelcome, which will inevitably result in not doing business with you.
This type of website used to be popular in the early days of website development; if you ever read a blog about 10-20 years ago, you know what I’m talking about.
These types of websites still exist today and are even more cringy to see now.
I’m not saying ads are terrible and that you should rule them out completely, but consumers are more aware now and less likely to put up with the hassle of sorting through ads and other clutter that consumes the page.
As an example of this, let’s say you were looking at two different websites within the same industry side-by-side.
The first website is filled with ads and other distracting pop-ups, along with confusing navigation.
Website number two has a minimal design and focuses on the user’s problem first with easy-to-use navigation and precise answers to your questions with little distracting ads.
Nine times out of ten, you would prefer to use website number two.
The design aspect of the site was enjoyable and helpful compared to frustrating like the first website.
Not only would your visitors choose website number two, but they would also most likely stay on the website longer and have a higher likelihood of remembering your brand next time they happen to be faced with a similar situation.
First impressions are everything, especially online, because you have an even smaller time window to make a good one.
It only takes visitors 5 seconds to form a first impression of your website design, so you better be sure you are on top of your game and framed well for success.
Web Design Builds Trust With Your Visitors
Most people nowadays will not trust a poorly designed website.
When your website looks outdated, people start to assume that everything on it is also obsolete, meaning the website’s information can be seen as untrustworthy.
After someone thinks that your knowledge is outdated and not relevant, they will usually click off your site and find another one.
It only takes one indication to customers that you are a trustworthy source for them never to return.
38% of people will stop engaging with your website if your content and layout are unattractive.
A well-designed website that builds trust is comprised of a few things:
- Design consistency (every page is laid out in the same fashion)
- Transparency and upfronts (Break things down and make everything understandable for any visitor. Show that you are a natural person behind the screen with a team about page with pictures and bios)
- Predictable design and website usability (visitors can instinctively understand how to navigate anywhere on your website easily)
- Fast loading website ( the more visitors have to wait, the more likely they are going to think you are shady)
Now with that in mind, let’s check out some things to avoid:
- Busy complex layouts
- lack of descriptive headlines
- small print that’s hard to read
- too much text and not enough white space on the screen
- too many ads and pop-ups
- hard to use the navigation
- slow loading website
- Lack of differentiating brand image
The easier it is for your visitors to use your website and get to the location they are after quickly, the more trust they are likely to give your website and business.
To make any transactional sale now or later, your customers will have to trust that your business has their best interests in mind.
Your Website’s SEO Is Directly Related To Web Design
Web design plays an active role in search engine optimization and being found online through search engines like Google.
The more enjoyable your website is to hang out on for your visitors, the more time they will spend on it.
When more and more people stay for an increased length of time on your website, that indicates to Google that you are a relevant and trustworthy source of information.
Eventually, your site will rank higher up on the search results page when people search for your topic.
Some of the search engine optimization components that you can influence directly with web design are:
- User experience (a simplistic design that is straight to the point)
- Website load speed
- Heading and page descriptions ( h1, h2, h3, etc.)
- Navigation layout
- Page color and background (this affects how your website make users feel)
If you want to rank higher up on search results, focusing on user experience and making it easier for people to use your website.
Google bases the websites it shows in its search results on how relevant it is to what people are searching for.
When people jump ship quickly and head back for the search results page frequently, google starts to think that your website doesn’t have relevant information about the topic people are searching for.
On the other side of that, when people hang out on your website for extended periods and google detects them clicking through to multiple pages and witness signals that your website engagement is high, they will show your site more often.
Remember that Googles’ job is to provide the best search results based on what people are searching for.
By making the experience on your website more enjoyable and helpful, you are essentially making Google’s decision easier when it comes to showing your website over your competitors.
This is a win-win for everyone; when your users are happy, Google is happy, making you happy because google wants to make more of its users happy by showing them great relevant search results.
Conclusion
Web design is important because it plays an active role in your website’s overall success.
A well-designed website can be an invaluable asset to your business and help customers out with their problems 24 hours a day, resulting in a happier visitor.
Focus on providing a great user experience on your website, and more likely than not, you will start to see more traffic over time.
Google likes to provide its users ( people searching on their platform) with the most relevant information and sources for every single search and will gladly help you if you allow them to help their users.
Check out our 17 tips for web design that will help you boost online conversions along with your users’ overall experience.
Thank you for hanging out with us today; as always, we appreciate you!
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