You may have heard the phrase “first impressions count,” this is also true for website design. Studies have shown that 94% of users judge their first impression of a website based purely off its design alone. It takes a short amount of time for a user to decide what they think about a website, so a professional design is integral for reducing bounce rate and improving the consumer’s journey.

Great for Marketing

A website is the backbone of your online presence and, in turn, your entire digital marketing strategy. Not only does a website make it easier for potential consumers to find you online, any content or advertisement that you share online will have the goal of pushing people towards your site. Due to this, it’s important that your site is concise, appealing and responsive. A professionally designed site ensures that your brand and products are conveyed quickly and clearly.

Websites also play an important role in content marketing. Any content you publish, whether it’s blog posts, news or product descriptions, they all need a place to be displayed. A website offers a platform to house any and all content you create in the future. Blog posts, like this one you’re reading right now, are perfect to engage and inform your audience – and without our website, we’d have nowhere to post it. 

Branding Your Website

There are a multitude of platforms out there that offer to build your site quickly and easily, generated by drag and drop themes and leaving you to input the extra information. Though quick, these tools leave your website feeling uninspired and cookie cutter.

Like we mentioned above, your website is a great location to showcase your brand and personality. Your company should always strive for excellence, but the growth and popularity of social media if proof that your company must reflect its ethos and personality. You have a clear idea of what your brand stands for but it’s equally important for your website to convey that.

Generating Sales With Your Website

The ultimate goal of your business is to generate sales. It’s what keeps your business running and improving those sales is the best way to improve the success of your business. A website is a brilliant platform to generate sales and should certainly not be overlooked.

It seems simple, the more people that see your products increases the likelihood of someone buying. Alongside a well designed site and effective SEO, this could ensure your website reaches the right audience, further increasing the chance that someone is going to purchase your products and services.

A website also offers a space to help nudge consumers in the direction of purchasing a product or service. Whether that’s an informative video, news posts outlining services in-depth or conveying the extra information that couldn’t be displayed in the original sales message.

Tips to Consider

So what are the major things to consider when creating your website?

• Navigation – Simple navigation is key to your users reaching where they need to without much hassle. Menus should be clear and concise, and list all the information to help a consumer navigate them effectively.
• Content – Content on your website should be concise and informative. Anyone visiting your site should be able to gain a clear understanding of what you offer and the services you provide.
• Layout – It’s important to consider how that content is displayed. An attractive design is great, as we’ve mentioned above, due to the short time frame you have of securing someone’s visit to your site. The balance between the layout and content is extremely important.
• Loading Times – As we’ve mentioned a few times in this blog, you only have a few seconds to keep someone on your site. If those few seconds are spent with the website still loading, it’s guaranteed to turn off a lot of users.
• Conversion – Have you ever tried to purchase something online, and had to click so many boxes and type in so many fields that you decided it’d be easier elsewhere? Converting potential leads into actual purchases, whether it be through enquiry forms or easy check out, is integral for your website to succeed.
• SEO – SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, and in short, it helps people find you on Google. Topping the SEO rankings is a surefire way to increase traffic to your website and generate more sales. A professional site is also includes SEO, to ensure your great website is seen.

Mobile Optimisation

With new devices always changing, and more and more consumers using their mobile devices to view sites, mobile optimisation is now a necessity.

A major advantage is the benefits to SEO. Your Google ranking is affected by people using your site. A poorly optimised mobile site will turn people off, and in turn, lower your rankings.

A mobile website also builds credibility with your audience. A website that can be accessed anywhere by anyone increases your customer satisfaction. Mobile Optimisation is nothing but a positive for your site and is integral for a professional online presence.

Summary

There’s a lot to digest when it comes to creating a responsive website. If you don’t have the tools in-house to build one, it’s integral that you take on the help you need. Our Web Design service ensures a professional end product that’s sure to be responsive, well designed and still conveys your brand’s ethos. More on that here.