We are often prompted not to judge a book by its cover but when it comes to websites, users do make snap judgements about the brand and the quality of its products or services just by taking a look at its website; that’s why web design matters. True, the visual appeal is important but that’s just the tip of the iceberg; impeccable web design goes far beyond what meets the eye. Wanna know what we’re talking about? Read on!
THE ART OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS
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Remember the saying that goes something like “you only have one chance to make a great first impression”? Well, since it only takes about 0.05 milliseconds for a user to determine whether they like your website or not (which usually dictates whether they stay or close that tab and navigate away), you’d better believe that making a great first impression is a key driver when it comes to web design.
So, what should your web design encompass to ensure that you nail that great first impression?
* VISUAL APPEAL
It should go without saying but we’re gonna say it anyways: your website should look aesthetically pleasing and professional. A clean design focuses on the value proposition of your brand without creating too many distractions via exaggerated graphics or excessive text.
* CONSISTENT BRAND IDENTITY
The choice of colors, fonts and overall style and tone must not only be appealing but also consistent with the brand identity that is reflected all over the company’s marketing strategy including channels beyond the website like social media, business podcasts and ad campaigns.
* ADJUSTABLE DISPLAY
Web design must consider the website’s appearance and ease of navigation on any device, in particular mobile devices since they drove 61% of all website visits in the US in 2020 (63% globally). If you want to nail that first impression it’s imperative that your website has an adjustable display so that no matter what device is used to access it, the customer’s navigation experience on your website is excellent.
FLAWLESS USER EXPERIENCE (UX) IS KEY
An appealing website will attract customers to explore what your company has to offer, but the user experience (UX) is what will determine whether that attraction turns into customer acquisition, sales conversion and lead generation which are the ultimate goals of creating that website in the first place.
Here are the key factors that ensure a flawless UX:
1- Easy navigation
If customers have to hunt for information running in circles around your website they are likely to get frustrated and eventually leave and never come back.
Information, product description and actionable items that facilitate sales conversion and interaction with your brand should be readily available within just a couple clicks. To simplify navigation on your website (for both customers and search engines) add a sitemap.
2- Loading times
According to Adobe, 39% of people will stop engaging with a website if its pages have slow loading times.
To avoid being on the receiving end of that statistic, make sure that your website’s navigation speed is high. Eliminate underperforming pages and broken links, optimize the size of the images, ensure that it has great hosting and a clean SEO-friendly code that is compatible with different browsers. Also, periodically verify its loading times so you can identify issues and correct them before they start negatively impacting traffic and conversions.
3- Content
Content strategy is a key piece not only of your website but of your digital marketing strategy as a whole. Good content created and optimized with a robust SEO strategy in mind can help boost rankings, strengthen brand loyalty and domain authority, which in turn will facilitate customer engagement and sales. Make sure your content adds value: make it informative, relevant and to the point. Include a variety of choices such as blogs, podcasts and videos.
4- Security
Last but not least, make sure your website is secure, particularly if it’s intended to facilitate online transactions. Reduce potential threats by adding SSL certification to your website, therefore allowing Google to identify it as secure and preventing any display issues on your customer’s browser. Implementing extra measures to guarantee that your customers’ personal information is protected and to secure your website from hackers, malware or any other online risks is essential.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT PARTNER IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL WEB DESIGN
Designing and launching an impeccable website is not simple. Fortunately, you don’t have to do it all on your own! Choose a partner that can deliver not only flawless design and execution, but also continuous support beyond the launch because in a rapidly changing technological world, your website will require periodic maintenance like plugins and template updates to adjust to ever changing search engine algorithms, evolving security threats and fluid SEO strategies.
Speaking of SEO strategies, the right partner must also provide advice on how to leverage the latest trends in your industry to enhance your comprehensive digital marketing strategy through all the media outlets where your business has a presence.
So there you have it! Impeccable web design can make or break your business and it goes far beyond a nice looking website and a launch date. Does your business have a website delivering results at its full potential? If not, we can help. Let’s talk!
