You may ask yourself why get help upgrading your existing company website? Yes, your existing company website appears outdated in comparison to the competition but does a compelling and credible website design actually matter? Reluctantly, you search for a design company to give your company’s website a facelift, but you’re not totally convinced that a new layout will create new business. Despite your scepticism, an array of studies reveals a well-built website will create greater customer traffic and a better user interface will boost conversion — creating new business at an exponential pace. But how? How does something as superficial as your company’s website design affect the success of a company? There are numerous reasons why a well-designed site will attract your ideal customer and prompt dialogue with your firm. Below are five key elements that a web designer should keep in mind if designing a site:
Navigation
Probably the most important part of a site is the navigation. The navigation of a site can make or break a website, which is particularly true for robust websites with many pages. Website navigation typically contains a navigation bar or list of tags that distinguish the pages of the site. Very good navigation needs to be easy to discover and comprehend — making for quick and easy travel throughout the whole website. When designing navigation, website designers occasionally get carried away with layouts and fancy typefaces. Typically, over-simplified navigation maximizes ease of use for a broader selection of customers. A good tip is that your company’s site navigation should be so intuitive even your grandma can understand it.
Brand Consistency
If your organisation has a logo design and that logo is used frequently in print materials (i.e. business cards, pamphlets, letterheads, etc.), then the logo, logo/brand colours, brand messaging and imagery used for printing has to be carried over into the website design. Frequently when the visual communication varies with a brand, it can cause clients to feel uneasy, which can make them make a negative association with your organisation.
Reading Patterns and SEO
Most individuals are comfortable reading a web page the same way they read a book, from top to bottom, left to right. Web designers also take this into consideration when designing for a site. Many designers make certain to place the main information on the top left-hand column. This will help get the message across more effectively for site visitors who might be current or prospective clients. However, what many people don’t know is that putting important information in these areas of a site also enhances SEO (search engine optimisation). When you add important company-related key words to the html-based text, search engines like Google and Bing have the ability to crawl your site easily, increasing your search engine positioning and giving your site and company more overall visibility.
Content
The content of your website is essential for reasons aside from the fact that it literally communicates your organisation’s brand position and guarantee. There are other crucial elements which are considered when a copywriter creates the material and the designer generates the complementary visual atmosphere for the content. Making the message brief and to the point, yet warm and welcoming (depending on the business) helps the reader to recall the message simpler. Additionally, when there is too much text on a page, the page gets visually cluttered making it harder for a reader to physically browse the page, let alone stay interested in reading the webpage. By streamlining the content, the designer is then able to insert the text in their design, which typically includes loads of negative space. This empty space allows the reader’s eyes break so that they don’t tire of reading.
Trust
Building trust among your clients is vitally important, but won’t occur unless you really get to know them and what they value. Marketing tactics can function as a dialogue with prospective clients, which is going to be an excellent way to discover more about your clientele’s needs. By strengthening dialogue with clients, you are able to implement what positively resonates with them on your new design. By making your site look more welcoming and more trustworthy to traffic, you will notice the visitors to your site grow, and also an improvement in new business leads via site conversion.
The Internet can be a scary place for Individuals who are more accustomed to doing business in person. Most companies are looking for something more welcoming than a confusing labyrinth of numbers and letters. Web design is a great way to create a user-friendly environment where people come for useful tips and best practices. If a website is created and managed properly, customers will return to your site and want to do business with your organisation.