We already know – or at least we should – that unless businesses have a strong online presence, nowadays, it’s almost like they don’t even exist. That’s why every modern business owner has to do everything in their power to ensure that they build a strong presence online where they can reach greater exposure and a wider audience.
But no matter how strong your online presence is and no matter how active your business is on marketing channels, such as social media, all of it will be more or less in vain if your website is lacking in design. Not only can a poor web design deter potential customers, but it will also hinder your attempts to become more relevant in the online realm and create a better relationship with search engines in general.
That being said, let’s see some of the reasons why great web design is absolutely crucial for your online business success.
Because first impression matters
Just like you would get all dressed and dolled up if you’re going on an important business event because you want to ensure that you leave the best possible first impression you should aim at achieving the same effect with your website design. While it is true that plain and simple is the best way to go when presenting an idea to a wider audience, the fact of the matter is that people are very visual beings. What this means is that we enjoy seeing beautiful things and we generally strive towards attractiveness. Needless to say, the better the first impression your website leaves on your audience, the more of them will choose to do business with you over your competitors.
Because the SEO struggle is real
There are numerous web design elements that influence the way you publish things on your website which in turn determines how your website is being indexed by search engine spider crawlers. All of these determine how search engines see your website and process the information found on it, which affects the way they choose to rank it. Therefore, you need to make sure that the SEO fundamentals on your website are top-notch if you want to make sure that they are aiding your SEO efforts, not hindering them.
Because you want your audience to trust you
Furthermore, the trust your audience has in your business is something that can’t be bought. Rather, it is something that requires hard work and dedication. By ensuring that you do all in your power to present your audience with a safe online environment, you’ll guarantee the long-term success of your business. That’s why you should invest in making your website easy to navigate, visually engaging – but not overwhelming – and, most importantly safe. That is the key reason high-quality companies choose to secure their websites with an SSL certificate, offering their audience a safe browsing environment, while at the same time securing their website from unwanted and malicious attics and infiltrations.
Because customer service should be your main concern
Website design can also let your audience know what they can expect from you as a business. Simply put, if you don’t put enough effort into your website design that can let your audience know that you won’t put much effort into them either. Think of it this way – your website works as your online customer service representative. If the representative is well-kempt, pleasant and happy to help, consumers will feel more inclined to do business with your brand as they will know that they have someone to rely on in case anything happens to go wrong. However, if your representative looks tired and unwelcoming, chances are that people will simply turn to someone better, i.e. possibly your competition.
Because you want to do better than your competitors
If you’re still looking for reasons to up your web design game, here is the final one: Your competitors are already using it to their advantage. If none of the previous reasons were enough to sway you, chances are that you’ll at least care about this one. Simply put, the goal of every business out there is to be the best of the best and your business should be no different. Therefore, check out your competitors’ websites, see what elements of their design you like and find appealing and customize them to fit your own business’s narrative. This will be the thing that will set you apart from the rest of the crowd.
These were, of course, just some of the most important reasons why you should invest in stellar web design. However, if they were not enough to convince you, chances are that nothing else will.
