Your brand’s website communicates to potential customers whether your business knows what it’s doing. That’s why web design is essential as a marketing tool. It highlights the need to invest time and resources into a well-built homepage, so it doesn’t appear you’ve settled for a default theme or an overly simple layout.
Design plays an essential role in branding and promoting your small business:
- A well-designed website is essential for business marketing.
- A company’s website and logo design should communicate a message and make an excellent first impression.
- Designers should consider the visual appeal, easy navigation, and search engine optimization strategy when creating a website.
Why does website design matter?
According to a study from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, a person’s eyes take 2.6 seconds to focus on a specific element of a webpage when it loads. The viewer quickly forms an opinion based on what they’ve seen, so it pays to influence that opinion with a smart design, said Adriana Marin, a freelance graphic designer.
What to consider when designing a website?
Based on tips from the experts who spoke to us, here are a few things you should consider when creating your website:
Validity
People have [feelings] about your company based on the experiences that they have had with a brand. A well-designed logo and website inspire confidence because it looks professional. If a company is willing to focus on creating a clean and functional design that is easy to use, that could indicate what using their product might be like.
SEO strategy
The on-page content you’re utilizing, and the keywords you want to rank for in SEO are significant factors to consider. Before creating a website, conduct keyword research and organize your content so that each page caters to a single long-tail keyword.
Consistency
When it comes to the design and aesthetic of a business, this is a prime example of the importance of first impressions. Creating a strong, recognizable, and original brand identity is essential for the overall success of a business – not only linking all your accounts together but also forming a community feel for your team and audience. This brand identity can be present through a logo, website, layout, packaging, social media, and graphics.
Simplicity
Your landing page should set the tone for your company and provide important information, making it easy for your audience to understand what products or services your business offers.
Figure out what essential information you need users [or] customers to take away from that page, and make it easy to find and understand. Then identify the most critical action you’d need users to take on that page and make it prominent and easily accessible whatever call to action you choose should engage your audience with your services or products.
Visual appeal
You might have a great story, but no one will want to read your About Us page or explore your social media posts if you don’t immediately engage your audience. So how can you accomplish this?
Eye-catching visuals will set your brand apart from others. Your imagery should be relevant to your brand and engage your target audience. When in doubt, keep things straightforward.
Competition
Monitoring your competitors’ websites can help you identify trending design strategies. An outdated website gives customers the impression that you either have an inactive online presence or aren’t interested in creating more convenient opportunities for them. Your competition will have insight into what attracts similar customers, especially if they’ve had a long-standing digital presence. Exploring industry websites will also add to your site’s uniqueness.
Readability and usability
The most significant advice experts give about designing a website is to make it easy to navigate and not give visitors – and hopefully future customers – too many options. The fewer options you offer per page, the easier it will be for visitors to choose and convert into customers. On the other hand, one element may be too few and lack enough detail to compel your reader to take action. But listing three aspects at once is enough to create a balance and instill interest. Anything more risks overwhelming your audience and losing them altogether.
Mobile viewing
Many users today browse the internet using their mobile phones. With a limited real estate view, you need to ensure that visitors can easily navigate your sites and find the information they’re looking for. Like how it functions on a web browser, your website should perform well on mobile devices.
Final words: Compelling, unique website design
When deciding what your online brand presence should look like, remember that it’s essential to be consistent but not repetitive.