Today, investing in good web design is a must. Your company’s website speaks volumes about your brand and has the power to encourage or deter sales. It is estimated that over 83% of customers use the internet to research and find potential vendors. While they search they also judge. As George A. Miller once stated, “emotion stimulates the mind 300 times faster than rational thought”. So before they have even thought about doing business with you, they’ve already decided whether they will or not. Pretty confusing, right? 75% of web users admit to making judgments about the credibility of an organisation based on the design of their website. Appearance impacts trust. A good agency will know this and should bring it up. If not, make sure you do.
Before you reach out to a web design company, you need to clearly understand who your customers are and what it is you have to offer them. The idea is to create a website based on your target market, so knowing who they are and how they think and feel will determine what actions you want them to take while they are on your site. Your website should align with your business strategy and assist in achieving your overall business goals.
Web Design Considerations
As a general rule of thumb, we suggest following these three key areas when re-designing or creating a new website.
1. Simple layout and accessibility
Try to enhance your main conversion opportunities by simplifying the design. Make your website easy to navigate so your users find what they are looking for.
Making the website accessible from all browsers and devices such as mobiles and tablets is key. A majority of mobile phone and tablet users now access the internet while on the move, so not making your website responsive to their device with easily clickable buttons and text large enough to read be could be a costly mistake from a user experience and Google perspective.
2. Engage the visitor
As mentioned above, your website needs to keep the user engaged. To do this you will need to provide them with quality content and a strong value proposition. Why should they choose you over your competitor? Knowing and understanding your target market is important so that content is tailored to them and presented in a way that speaks their language. Providing them with the right content and tone of delivery will keep them wanting more and they will more likely follow through when prompted with a call-to-action.
3. Calls-to-action
The purpose of a call-to-action is to convert your prospect into a genuine lead or customer. A call-to-action prompts a prospect to take action on your website. This could either be a phone call, click on a downloadable file, filling out a form, or for an e-commerce site a call-to-action can be considered as the add to cart or purchase function.
Whatever the desired result you will need to use compelling text and copy to appeal to your target audience, increasing your chances of them clicking through. If this fails, then provide a secondary call-to-action. Consider these a ‘safety valve’ where you can offer to stay in touch with them in another way, like an email subscription or even social media.
Conclusion
Designing or re-designing your website to reflect your organisation and target market is crucial, prospects not only seek value but also your trust. We live in the digital age and your business needs to demonstrate value to your potential clients when they are searching for you online.