HOW IMPORTANT IS WEBSITE DESIGN?
Feb 17, 2014
It doesn't matter what sort of business you are – corporate or creative – design is one of the most important factors when it comes to getting enquiries through your website. When we say, “website design”, we don’t mean the coolest new colour theme or the trendiest font, we’re talking about a design that suits the sort of business you are. The way you portray yourself to web users could either turn them into customers or turn them away, so it’s good to get it right!
Here are some of the most important aspects to consider regarding the design of your website:
Audience
Who you are targeting will affect how your website should look, and what it should contain. A younger audience will be more interested in the latest design trends, for example, and a very young audience will need big buttons and clear fonts to show them where to click and what to do. If you’re targeting business people, they are more likely to benefit from fast facts and a non-fussy design, whereas if you have an online shop, you will want to encourage users to stay and browse on your website by offering lots of options and pages.
Appearance
What impression do people get when they simply look at your website, without reading anything? Are the colours attractive? Do the images speak about your brand, or are they too generic? Is everything laid out well on the page? The first impression most certainly counts when it comes to your website – make sure you grab their attention in those first few moments!
Load times
We’ve all experienced slow loading times when visiting a website for the first time – how often do you wait it out? The chances are it’s almost never, and if you do, you have a lot more patience than us! Since there is nothing stopping your website visitors from clicking away from your website onto something else, you’ve got to make sure it loads quickly.
Mobile Optimisation
Did you know that the amount of web traffic coming from Smart Phones has doubled since 2012? If you want to reach as many people as possible, you’ve got to make sure that your website is easy to use across all platforms, including tablets and smart phones. The best way to do this is to make your website responsive – we can give you more information about that if you need it.
Functionality
How your website actually works will determine how long people will stay on your website – if you’ve got broken links, or if the most basic pieces of information are hard to find, people are going to get frustrated and move on to one of your competitors. Even if you think your design looks okay, it’s good to check the functionality regularly to make sure everything still works.
Calls to Action
The ultimate goal for your website is to get a response from your web visitors, whether that response is to buy, donate, ask for a quote, submit their email address or just make an enquiry. Define what it is you would like people to do, and then write calls to action that are attractive both in appearance and the way they are written. Remember to make it all about them, not you, and include as many incentives as possible e.g. highlighting things that are free.
Features
What can a visitor gain from visiting your website? Do you have an informative video about your products, or is there a latest news section? Its features like these that help make your website design successful, as they encourage people to stay and enjoy the information you have to offer. When was the last time you last time you looked at your competition, to see how you compare?
Try to offer something that other people don’t, and you are more likely to have a successful website.
We hope that this has been helpful – if you need any more tips regarding web design or anything else internet-related, we’re always here to answer your questions.
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