What You Should Look For In A Website
You may wonder why you should spend money updating your current company website? You
might even think it’s a waste of money. Maybe your existing website looks outdated compared to
the competition but does a newly designed website design really matter that much?
Despite a lot of businesses owners reluctance to spend money, a ton of studies show well-built, modern-
looking website will generate better customer traffic and will increase conversion which means
higher sales.
There are many reasons why a well-designed website will attract more customers and give you
dominance in your industry. The following highlights four key components that a web designer
should keep in mind when designing a website. This will help you ask the right questions and
hire the perfect web designer for your project.
Brand Consistency
Whenever creating a new website the designer should understand your brand. This goes further
than just the look and feel of your brand and website, but should also include messaging, core
values, and mission statement. You don’t have to put it all on your website, but a good website
designer understands that everything they create and do should come from a brand-first
perspective. It is important for your customers to be able to recognize your brand in all forms of
communication so they associate your brand position and promise with your business. Often
when the visual communication changes with a brand, it can cause customers to feel
uncomfortable, which can cause them to create a negative association with your company. When
designing a new website, you might want to look at a brand overhaul or a brand refresh,
depending on what has changed internally within your company.
Website Navigation
One of the most important parts of a website is the navigation. If your customer becomes
frustrated and can’t easily find what they are looking for they will go somewhere else. It’s that
simple. The navigation of a website can often make or break a website, which is especially true if
you’re selling products online. Website navigation typically includes a navigation bar that divides
the pages of the website into categories. For example, you might have a category with service or
products, or you might have one with all the company information. Good navigation should
make things easy to find and comprehend. When designing navigation, web designers sometimes
get carried away with designs and fancy typefaces because they look pretty but oftentimes they
just confuse the customer and slow the process down. In most cases, over-simplified navigation
maximizes ease of use for a wider range of customers, no matter what your target demographic
is.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search Engine Optimization is an important area of expertise. If you want to know more about
Search Engine Optimization SEO (AJ insert link) click here to learn more. When hiring a
website designer, you should always ask what he or she knows about SEO. Please keep in mind,
just because they are a web designer, it doesn’t mean that they are experienced in SEO and they
might miss a few steps and you’ll have to go back to fix them which will likely cost you extra
money. Ask how the web designer plans to implement SEO setup in the design and see what
they say.
Some things to watch out for:
– Title Tags
– Meta Description
– Linking
– Keyword optimization
Website Content
The content of your site is important for reasons besides the fact that it communicates your
company’s brand position and promise (which we’ve already mentioned). There are other very
important elements that are considered when a copywriter creates the content and the graphic
designer creates the visual assets. Making the message short and to the point, yet warm and
welcoming helps the reader to remember the message easier. Also, when there is too much text
on a page, the page becomes visually cluttered making it more difficult for a reader to physically
read the page, let alone remain interested in reading the page. By streamlining the content, the
designer is then able to insert the text into their design, which typically includes plenty of blank
space. This empty space lets the readers’ eyes rest so they do not tire of reading.
Conclusion
In today’s day and age, most people look online to make purchasing decisions and most
businesses have already developed their respective websites to become more accessible for their
customers. With the help of website design, business owners are able to create a user-friendly
and welcoming online environment where users can get useful information any time of the day.
When you have a well-managed website, people can rely on you. It builds trust, and when
visitors trust you, they won’t have doubts about purchasing your products and services.
