By now, you as a business owner should know just how important it is to have a website. Yet many still believe that any old website is good enough, and opt to use DIY or cheap design services to put up a one or two page site. While you may be tempted to use (or have already used) this approach as a way to save money, we can sum up how well this will work for you in one old-fashioned saying: you get what you pay for.
Users these days are more tech-savvy than ever, which means that they have seen a lot of websites. Most can tell with just one glance whether or not your site was treated as an investment in your business, or built as an afterthought on a shoestring budget. The fact is that not only does a professionally designed site drive leads and sales by showing visitors that you’re a business invested in user experience, it also doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. We can design sites with as few as 3 pages that still appeal to users while reducing your overall costs.
Why Does Website Design Matter?
The answer to this question is simple: it matters because your customers care about quality website design. The internet is an inherently visual space. People are bombarded with images, colors, and text, all designed to catch their eye and hopefully turn them into paying customers. In fact, it takes most users less than a second to form an opinion on your site, which means that you might not even get the chance to catch their attention with product or service details.
Not convinced? Here are some statistics from recent studies on website design:
- 75% of users make judgments about a company’s credibility based on visual design alone
When you land on a site that is outdated or unattractive, what does that make you think about the company? You’re probably thinking that their products or services might not be of the best quality, that they might not be legitimate or even in business any longer, or simply just opt to find a competitor to do business with instead. The same thoughts apply to users who visit your site if it’s not up-to-date or lacking in details, which means lost revenue for you.
- 94% of users’ first impressions of websites were design-related
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: people are visually-driven, especially when it comes to interacting online. First impressions are extremely important, which is why your online space is just as important as your physical space. Poor design will turn users off just as much as a dirty store or a difficult to find location.
- 38% of people will stop engaging with your website if your content and layout is unattractive
People like things that look good, as we have already established. If something doesn’t appeal to them, over a third of visitors will leave your website, which means a major loss of potential revenue.
What is “Good” Site Design?
As with anything else, there is some level of personal preference that affects someone’s like or dislike of a website. However, good website design isn’t just about color scheme or images; it is also largely about layout, size, and consistency.
The layout on your site should draw the reader’s eye down the page, so that they’re more likely to read more about who you are and what you offer. There should be enough “white”, or blank, space on the pages to help break up blocks of text and images. The colors you use should be complimentary to one another, and contrast should be used to draw the eye to your CTA.
In addition, your site should also have high-quality content that is concise and error-free. Many business owners are tempted to write their own content, or hire the cheapest freelancer that they can find to do it for them. Both of these options can present a number of problems. The first being that, unless you know how to utilize SEO, your content isn’t going to preform well on search engines. The wrong keywords, or too few/many of the right ones mean that your site is unlikely to ever hit the first page of search results. A highly experienced content writer, on the other hand, will be able to do keyword research, ensure they’re inserted in the text at the correct density, and provide you with copy that is edited and error-free. All of this adds up to be more than worth the additional expense in your website build. Overall, content makes up less than a third of the cost of a quality website design fee.
Is Your Website Design Giving the Right Impression? Call Us to Find Out
Your website is one of the most powerful tools at your disposal to keep your business thriving for years to come. Designing an appealing website that’s also functional for your visitors is more complicated than you might think, which is why it is always best to hire a professional to handle the job for you.
When it’s time for your business to build an effective and engaging website, Gulf Coast Web is here to help. With over 25 years of experience in managing web design for business across all industries, we have the knowledge necessary to build a site that appeals to your audience, generating you quality leads and conversions. Our staff consists of highly-trained web design and digital marketing professionals who are both passionate about their jobs and excel at what they do. And unlike many other design agencies, we have a content writer with over 10 years of experience on-staff to handle everything from website copy to blogs to social media posts. Contact us today to book a consultation with our team. We look forward to outlining exactly how we can help you grow your business with our digital media agency services.