A good website design is of utmost importance to most businesses these days. Online presence is important for your company’s success. However, is design enough to have your own website, or do you need something more?
It can seem daunting to invest in a professional, well-designed website for a small business, especially if you have limited technical skills. You may not see the point in a redesign if you already own a working (albeit outdated) site.
The evidence and the studies repeatedly demonstrate why good web design matters and how it impacts your business’s bottom line. Customers care about the design of your website. People are naturally drawn to good design, regardless of whether they are aware of it or not. Research has repeatedly shown that users judge businesses based on how their site looks and will leave if it’s poorly designed.
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THE DEFINITION OF “GOOD DESIGN”
It’s likely that you’ve heard the saying “Everything is beautiful to the individual.”
However, studies show a lot of consistency in how people perceive design, despite a certain amount of personal preference. Scientists and psychologists agree that we are attracted to beautiful things, and we are inherently influenced by good design.
The colors, shapes, and sizes of all designs are standard. Consistent visual language is created by utilizing those elements.
Consider the English language as an example. Our communication is based on the use of words, sentences, punctuation, and grammar with consistent rules. People with more advanced language skills are certainly more skilled at conversing, and as you learned from your grade-school teacher, there are measurable differences between “good English” and “bad English.”
A website can also be designed well or badly. Web designers are trained to communicate visually, even if we aren’t all equally adept. So, if you want to reach and communicate effectively with your customers and prospects, invest in a professional website design.
WEB DEVELOPMENT: WHY YOU NEED IT
The good design of your site has already proven important to your customers, but what is the impact of your website’s design on their experience? We will examine a few methods that can help improve your website design.
1. Usability
Your website design plays a major role in the ease of finding what visitors are trying to find. Eighty-six percent of your website visitors are seeking information about your products and services, while sixty-five percent want to find out how to contact you, and fifty-two percent want to know that you’re a business owner.
In order to keep your users engaged, your website’s design should make it easy for them to find these things. Consider using common conventions on your website, for example, featuring your contact information in the upper right-hand corner and listing your primary services in your main navigation.
2. Navigation
You should pay attention to how you design the navigation on your website as it is an essential element. Designers actually apply Hick’s Law here to consider psychology in designing.
This law basically states that people take longer to make decisions when they are presented with too many options. The phrase “Keep it Simple, Stupid” is often used to describe it.
Hick’s Law suggests that the user should have a simple choice of where to go on a website, so we want to keep the navigation simple to make it easier for the user. Keep options to seven or fewer as a good rule of thumb.
3. Conversion
Your users’ eyes are guided by good web design. It tells them where they should look. When you design your website, you can make special offers stand out, highlight the call to action buttons, and help users figure out what is clickable and what is not. Each of these things helps increase conversions.
Utilizing white space – or open space – around your call to action can help draw users’ attention to your call to action.
When it comes to white space, Apple is always mentioned. They’re known for their innovative, clean designs and bold, simple imagery (like this iPhone). This is a very clear message: they want you to click on this phone. Since nothing else on the page is distracting, it’s almost impossible not to click on it.
Take a site like Amazon, on the other hand. A big yellow button always stands out on this page from the crowded information and product options. Color and texture contrast creates a visual hierarchy on a busy page, which draws your eye to the conversion button.
4. Brand Professionalism & Trust
The design of your website is a primary factor in determining the credibility of your business, as we mentioned earlier. Professional and modern designs are more likely to inspire trust. On the other hand, a poorly designed website could raise doubts about your validity.
5. Mobile-friendliness
Today, mobile devices are used for most online searches, and the trend will continue. A mobile-friendly website is a necessity to remain relevant and get found online since Google is pushing a mobile-first approach now.
