In years gone by, we judged the quality of a business based on their storefront. Things like signage and window displays would determine whether we stepped in for a browse or moved along to find a more suitable alternative.
Nowadays, we judge the quality of a business based on their website. Things like functionality and loading times determine whether we make a purchase or head back to Google to find a better fit.
We’re also greatly influenced by the way that websites look- a great layout and some nice animations go a long way when we’re sizing up the quality of a business online.
Still not convinced that web design is super important for your business? Hopefully the following 3 points will do the job:
1: It creates the first impression of your business
It’s worth remembering that your website is effectively your sales pitch. Its job is to convince users that they’ve arrived at the best place for what they need.
With this in mind, it’s vital that it reflects a professional image and is easy to interact with. You also need to ensure that your brand identity is clearly communicated on the page- simple things like incorporating your logo and company colour scheme will help
Your site is also responsible for establishing trust. If it’s glitchy and poorly designed, there’s a good chance that users will take their business elsewhere.
Really, your web design should reassure users that they can purchase your products and book your services with confidence.
2: It helps to convert visitors into customers
Well, it does if it’s functional.
Indeed, all good web designs begin with a consideration for the user experience and the aims of the business behind it.
Take our client Toilets+, for example. They’re the go-to experts for portable toilet hire across the South of England. The purpose of their website is simple, it’s there to acquire new business.
As their agency of choice, it was the responsibility of our designers and developers to create a site that achieved this goal.
After a lengthy brainstorm and a few cups of coffee, they decided that the following features would help to improve the number of booking enquires which come through the site:
· A straightforward navigation that makes accessing information nice and easy
· Simple graphics that help to clearly communicate this information
· Helpful calls to action that help guide the user through the booking process
Our guys also integrated the branding of Toilets+ in the styling of the site to make sure it has a solid identity and makes a lasting impression.
Altogether, these decisions meant that we optimized the user journey and created (we think) the best platform for hiring out portable toilets.
3: It helps improve your SEO
Solid website design isn’t just about making things look impressive on the surface- it takes care of the stuff which goes on behind the scenes too.
Specifically, your web design needs to function on mobile, it needs to be linked together properly, and it needs to conform to a range of other best practices set out by Google.
The reason all of this is important is that Google looks closely at these things when it comes to ranking websites.
Obviously, there’s no point having a great looking website if the almighty search engine isn’t sending users to it.
If you’re looking to improve your web design or SEO, be sure to get in touch with a member of our team at Nu Image to find out how they can help.