Aug 1, 2014
No Comments
How Good Design Means Greater Marketing ROI
Websites aren’t just commonplace now: they’re ubiquitous. Thirty years ago the internet was in its infancy. Email wasn’t a word in the dictionary and tweeting was something only birds did. Now, in an age of digital media, web design has completely redefined our world and the ways we expect to interact with it. An internet experience now is as much about the aesthetics and appearance of content as it is about content itself. This is to the point where presentation now trumps quality of content in the war for attention and ‘clicks’ from consumers.
Consumers Judge a Website by its Cover
A consumer learns a lot about a company from just looking at a website. The consumer subconsciously can ascertain the quality of the photos, layout and color coordination. In seconds there is a judgement of the business, its brand message and products. A dated website can be the kiss of death from empowered millennial buyers who expect all aspects of the buying experience to be engaging. Likewise, millennial buyers (albeit unknowingly) judge a business or product by the quality with which it is presented online. If a site looks cluttered, outdated and just unattractive, that perception is projected on the product or service being advertised.
A Good Website Adds Credibility
A website can add legitimacy to your brand or strip it away. Without credibility, consumers will not be willing to buy with so many other outlets vying for their attention. How can you set yourself apart? Create a killer website that seamlessly connects prospective buyers with your compelling brand message. Unfortunately, this is far easier to talk about than to actually do. A particular challenge is funding and footing development costs, especially if you’re a mid to smaller sized business. But now more than ever there are affordable tools available that can provide a beautiful webpage without putting your business in the red.
Find Beautiful Design from Others
First step: look at other beautiful websites and take note of what elements they use. Are they complicated or simple? Do they have lots of text or hardly any text? How do they use pictures and images? Is the page responsive or not? A good reference for your business is awwwards.com (yes, all three w’s). Awwwards.com takes the best of the best of web design and rates it based on elements of functionality, design and creativity. Second, have good images/pictures. Against common belief, you CAN have images that don’t literally relate to your business. The important thing about images on your site is that they are interesting, well composed and extremely high resolution. Use sites like unsplash.com that provide high res photos and are free for commercial reuse.
Regardless of your budget, a website is a necessity for the success and expansion of your business. There is no question that the higher quality a website is, the more time consumers will spend on it. More time on a site means higher conversion rates and higher ROI for the funds expended for the website. I invite you to strongly consider how your business can benefit from a beautiful, functional website. Use resources at your disposal as well as gifted design firms like Innovation Simple that can turn your website into a great marketing asset.