Your website design can make or break your business. Like the clothes you wear, your website is one of the quickest ways that your potential customers form an opinion about you. Think about where you go first when you find out about a new business or product? You go online. Which sites do you stay on and end up calling or buying from? Generally the ones that look the best, provide the information you need quickly and that work properly.
A well designed website is no longer just a good idea — it’s mandatory for anyone who wants to make a good impression on their customers. Good design communicates professionalism, competency, and reliability. Bad design communicates the opposite. The trustworthiness of your business can be linked to your website and your brand.
If you have customers in the Windsor or Leamington area, you need to make sure that your website is well designed and accessible. A good website should be tailored to its clients — just like you prepare your home to have guests over, you should prepare your website in such a way that anticipates your customer’s needs and questions.
Business Card vs Website
A website does what a business card can’t. A business card is usually a card with your company’s logo and contact information. The expectation is usually for the customer to call the company to have a conversation with an employee or visit the website.
A good website design is like the initial sales conversation with your client. It should answer all of your customer’s pertinent questions in as little time as possible. In addition, it should put your customer at the centre of the interaction.
Websites Can Tell A Story
Websites can tell a story in a way that business cards can’t.
Have you ever read website copy that’s phrased like this? “We are the leading SEO agency in the area. We have spent 5 years honing and refining our craft to serve our clients.”
That’s great, but it’s not engaging or interesting. People naturally look for themselves in the narrative that you present. When they survey the copy and content on your website, they search for how your services will benefit them directly. They need to be able to relate to and connect with the information you present to them on a personal level.
A narrative that takes your customer on a logical path to your product or service — one that puts their story at the very centre — is a major win for any good website. Your website is also one of the few places that you can do that in a full and developed sense.
Fuller Brand Identity
Your business card is part of your brand identity. Your website can present your brand identity in a greater way. A website combines the design elements with photos and text to better develop your brand identity. Your business card and logo are one small piece of the brand image you want to convey. Good website design is another key factor. Things like colours, layout, logo, imagery and wording all have a major part to play in terms of how your brand is perceived by your clients.
Presenting a clean and polished version of your brand through your website is an extremely powerful way to communicate the value of your company to your clients.
Tells Customer Stories
In addition, most customers use online reviews and information to make purchasing decisions about a product, even when a physical retail location is available. Online reviews play a major role in how purchasing decisions are made. Websites like Yelp and Google Reviews provide valuable information for decision-making. You want to make sure that reviews from other customers aren’t the only source of information your customers have available to them. It’s also massively important to have clear links to well-run social media pages in addition to your website.
What Makes a Strong Website?
Good design is the first element, closely followed by functionality.
Strong Home Page Design
A good website should have a landing page that immediately answers your customer’s core needs and sets the tone for the rest of the time on the site. A bold header with clear text that clearly displays your company’s vision in terms of the customer’s need is a great place to start. After that, people generally have a specific question they want answered. Clearly labelled sections with easy-to-use navigation can give you a huge leg up. Most people have short attention spans and might give up if they can’t find the information they need quickly.
Calls to Action
In addition, make sure that you include clear, engaging call to action buttons. That means having buttons placed in central locations that encourage the visitor to “call now,” “request a free quote”, “buy now” or “reserve.”. These make decision-making easy and obvious for the customer.
Page Speed
Page speed is another important factor. Most people will skip over your website if it won’t load. Slow page speed means that your potential customers will pick another company over yours. It’s a lot like travel time. Would you rather go to a grocery store that’s 10 minutes or 45 minutes away? The same principle applies to websites. Customers will choose the website that they have the quickest and easiest access to.
Conclusion
Make sure that you have your design nailed down and your branding clearly represented through the design choices that you make. It will make all the difference for gaining new customers and clients.
Photo by Kate Trysh on Unsplash
