As unbelievable as it sounds, many businesses in the UK still do not understand the benefits of website design. How else do you explain this statistic from the UK Office for National Statistics? It says that only 45% of UK businesses have a website. There are other studies that believe that the actual number might be much lower.
That’s at a time when there are 56.7 million Internet users in the UK. Can you imagine the sheer volume of prospective clients that you might be losing out on? That too, just because you do not have a website? Any business, irrespective of its industry, must have an online presence in 2021. That goes even for organisations that might not be offering a product or service.
Contrary to popular notions, a business website is not merely a portal to your products and services. It’s a great way for a potential customer or a business partner to know more about you. It’s one of the best ways to present your story in front of a global audience. Talk about your goals and the values you represent. However, the success of a website in this highly competitive business environment depends largely on website design.
A poorly designed website creates a bad user experience. In fact, it’s likely to drive a potential customer away to a competitor instead. But chances are that you are still grappling with the idea.
Benefits of Website Design – Top 9!
So, here are the top 9 benefits of website design that offers enough context to what we are trying to explain.
#1 – It boosts credibility
Irrespective of whether you are a one-man operation, or a start-up, or a bunch of friends looking to sell your art online, you should have a website. It is estimated that 75% of Internet users use website design to judge the credibility of a business. That’s not all. It puts a trustworthy face to your name. For instance, if you are a landscaper in Cambridge, a business website will allow you to stand out from your competitors. You can, of course, use it to showcase your beautiful designs.
But even without it, one of the benefits of website design is that it automatically instils confidence. Without a quality website, you are just another stranger on the Internet, who could well be an imposter. You could be considered too inexperienced or small to handle a project of a certain size.
#2 – It’s a 24/7 billboard
Any business that’s hired an offline marketing agency would know how pricey advertisements are. A well-designed website is like a 24/7 billboard that’s always marketing your business. It never shuts down. There are no office hours. You don’t need to pay rentals, or staff. It’s constantly online and provides your customers with an easy way to reach you.
There are, of course, ways to market the website and increase your reach even further. But that’s for later. Even if you aren’t looking at digital marketing yet, you should consider hiring a quality website designer. Focus on building a brand that people can trust.
#3 – It’s your first impression – Exclusive benefits of website design
Research shows that people form an opinion about a website in just 50 milliseconds. That’s all it takes for a potential customer to decide whether to do business with you, or click on the back button. You might be offering them the next big thing, mind you. But if the web design doesn’t cut the mustard, you might lose a potential customer. Clearly, it’s all about the first impression that they get when they land on your homepage. That’s where quality design comes into play.
The colours, the UX, the symmetry, spacing, fonts, everything needs to be well-thought-out and in-tune with your branding efforts. The collective impact of all these factors is what creates the perfect first impression. Think about it this way. You have a chance of retaining a customer for life if you get this right. That’s one of the benefits of website design that you do not get with any other form of marketing.
#4 – Gain positive reviews
91% of Internet users aged between 18-34 trust online reviews. Most of them, consider online reviews to be as trustworthy as a personal recommendation. That’s an important part of your online reputation. A website is the first step towards garnering online reviews. As more customers start to find your website, they will turn to platforms like Yelp, Google My Business, and TripAdvisor to gauge your business’s reputation.
Did a customer have a positive experience with your product or service? Encourage them to leave an online review with any of these platforms that you might be registered on. The more, the merrier. Even negative reviews can have a positive impact on your business. If you are unaware, then this might be a great chance to know more about local SEO citations and how they can be helpful.
#5 – It levels the playing field
One of the biggest benefits of website design is that it levels the playing field. A well-designed website empowers you with the means to compete with big, established businesses. What’s noteworthy, is that the above-mentioned 50-milliseconds rule still applies. If you can create a better first impression than a million-dollar brand for instance, there’s a possibility of getting that customer.
It does not matter at all if you are a small mom and pop operation, or a start-up working from a garage. As long as you can project the image of a professional and trustworthy brand, you are in the race.
#6 – It can help you rank on Google – Top benefits of website design
Website design is one of the most important ranking factors for organic search. Colours, layout, UX, mobile-friendliness, graphics, security and navigability are some of the parameters that Google has specified. While it might seem a little overwhelming at first, none of these are unachievable for a skilled web designer.
In fact, with the right website design team, you can build a Google-friendly website. This significantly amplifies your chances of ranking on organic search.
#7 – Minimise your marketing spend
A lot of businesses spend thousands of pounds on digital marketing and then realise that their website design wasn’t up to par. If you are a small business with limited resources, then you can ill-avoid this kind of ad-hoc spending. Instead, work with a website design team who can help you develop a SEO-friendly website.
We are talking about a website that takes into consideration SEO parameters such as page load speeds, mobile-compatibility, internal navigation and XML sitemaps. These are factors that can be addressed during the design stage, rather than be tweaked as an afterthought. With these factors in place, and with an experienced digital marketing team, chances are that your website will rank a lot sooner.
#8 – It helps you generate leads
A website with clearly defined goals is one of the most effective lead generation tools. It provides you with so many ways to get a potential customer into your marketing funnel. You can use quality content that provides value. You can use engaging videos to help your user understand a complex subject. It is estimated that viewers spend 88% more time on pages with videos.
In addition to this, you can use freebies or giveaways. There are creative ways to do this. The point that we are trying to drive home is that your website does this on autopilot. You do not have to constantly modify the pages or the design. Once you have a winning strategy, you can just replicate it on the other pages as well.
#9 – It gives you access to actionable data
One of the underrated benefits of website design is the sheer amount of marketing data you can get with it. Any website designer worth their salt will integrate Google analytics into the design. This gives you hands-on information that can be used to influence a variety of marketing decisions.
For instance, internal search queries can be used to improve navigability. User behaviour can be used to alter both, design and functionality. Heat maps reveal whether customers are able to find the information that they looking for. This also shows you where to place your CTA (call-to-action) button, so that it has the maximum chance of getting clicked.
Talking about CTA, did you know that 70% of small businesses do not have a call-to-action button on their site?
A call-to-action button is one of the fundamental elements of website design that tells people to complete an action. It can be to submit an email address to join your mailing list. It can also be to download a freebie. Users can follow you on social media. Without a CTA button, a website is like a headless chicken that’s missing a trick or two.
Are you leveraging these benefits of website design?
Your website is the biggest marketing tool that you can invest in. With such a tiny time frame to retain your audience attention, it’s imperative that you get it right in the first go. But a good website requires an astute understanding of design, user experience and Google marketing.
We have just the skill sets you are looking for and would be happy to help. Click the button below now to speak to us.
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