According to sweor.com, 75% of consumers admit to making judgments on a company’s credibility based on its website design. What does that mean? The reputation of your company is linked to the aesthetic quality of your website. In the eyes of the consumer, a website is a window into the way a company operates. If your website design is clunky, slow to load, or not well-organized, your brand’s overall value appears low, which is the opposite of what you want.
But having a good-looking website design is more than just a surface-level goal — it seriously impacts your business’s performance in many ways. Check out the six ways website design enhances the value of your brand.
1. It supports your search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
How you publish content on your website is dictated by web design elements and practices. Good design boosts your SEO ranking. Your website’s crawlability is crucial for a good SEO ranking on top of people finding and accessing your website. Bad web design choices unintentionally make it difficult for crawlers to index your site, which in turn damage your SEO rankings.
You didn’t put all that time and effort into your website content to not be found by consumers and indexed by search engine crawlers. The best way to ensure web design best practices are implemented is to partner up with a web design agency that knows what they’re doing.
2. It sets the first impression.
As we mentioned above, websites are by how they look in a split second and leave a lasting impression, whether good or bad. Your website’s first goal is to grab people’s attention and keep it long enough to make a positive impression.
If your website looks outdated, chances are customers will associate that with your entire business model, when that may not be the case. Potential leads will be lost, sending those customers directly to your competitor’s page instead.
A visually impressive website impacts how audiences perceive your brand and can get them to further interact with your website. Excellent web design helps keep your leads on your page.
3. It sets your customer service impression.
In a customer’s eyes, your website is the prerequisite on how customer service will be given. If your website appears bright, inviting, and modern, your audience will feel welcome on your page. It sets the impression that your company is open to new people visiting your site.
However, if your site is outdated, it could be giving off a cold or standoffish presentation. And people do not want to spend much time on an unappealing site. Putting in the necessary effort to have a nice-looking website lets the customer know that you value them enough to make a first good impression.
Website design is the digital face of your business. It’s there to be a friendly face to customers and to greet them in a welcoming manner.
4. It builds trust
A poorly designed, outdated website is often regarded as being untrustworthy. This can also create doubt, uncertainty, and an overall feeling of unease, which is probably the exact opposite of what you want your website to do.
A professional site does this. It’s essential to build trust with your audience so that they remain on your site longer, creating more opportunities for your business to capture those leads.
5. Your competitors are doing it.
Take a look at your competitor’s websites. Knowing that your competitors have a great site is a huge reason to update yours. If you want to remain a competitor to their business, updating your website is a significant step toward taking the lead.
Websites are a great way to showcase the unique selling points of your business and to stand out. You’ll attract more leads. A website gives a competitive edge to set your business apart from all the rest.
6. It creates consistency
Allowing your audience to familiarize themselves with your brand is vital in converting them. Web design is crucial because it helps create consistency across your pages. Having the same fonts, styles, and layouts provides a cohesive, polished, and professional look.
If your site has a different look to each page, your site will appear disconnected, unprofessional, and messy. It will also be more of a challenge to build brand recognition because your audience will not know how to associate with your brand. For example, what is the first thing that pops into your mind when you think about Target? You most likely thought about their bold red brand color, or perhaps their recognizable bullseye logo. These associations can only happen when you first and foremost establish and create consistency throughout your website.
So, what are the elements that go into a high-quality website? Below are key elements you’ll want to incorporate into your web design.
– Solid navigation – Having information that’s easily accessible to visitors is vital. Your audience wants to be directed to the information they’re looking for. An organized navigation is the foundation.
– Responsive design – Most people use their smartphones and tablets to access websites. A website that accommodates and supports all device types is imperative.
– Brand guide – This guide establishes a consistent brand image on your website. It is the basis for how you want your website to look. Color, format, and typography are some examples of what goes into a style guide.
– Purposeful visuals – Having the appropriate amount of visual aids, such as photos and videos, are great for adding variety to your website.
– Superior copy – Obtaining information is the main reason why people are drawn to your website. They want their questions answered! The content of your site matters just as much as the overall design.
– Call-to-action buttons – A well-designed CTA button will get your audience to proceed to the next step in the customer journey, which is the overall goal.
– Page speed – How quickly your page loads determines whether or not a customer will stay on your page or lose interest and leave.
TOTAL Advertising will help you create the website of your dreams.
If you want a beautiful website that drives your business’s best results, investing in a website will have a huge payoff. At TOTAL, we have over 20 years of experience designing websites.
We’re a full-service digital marketing company that specializes in customized website design. Our team of experts will bring their knowledge and skill to your marketing goals. We know the importance of web design and can help you create one you love.
Check out our extensive portfolio of website designs that attest to the awesome work we do.
If you’re ready to start building your dream website, contact us to speak with our strategist.
We look forward to helping your business grow!