According to a recent study, the vast majority of all online experiences between a business and its potential customers begin with a search engine. At the same time, we know that not only are 70% of the links that people click on organic, but 70 to 80% also ignore paid ads entirely.
Ultimately, what this means is that most people are going to experience your brand for the first time via a search engine like Google, and the vast majority of those who do will immediately be directed to the same place:
Your business's website.
Most leads will have that first impression take the form of your website. They will also form an opinion about whether they like or dislike your site in approximately 50 milliseconds — an opinion that will also dictate whether they stay or leave.
All of this is to say that if you haven't already begun to think of your website as the center of your business's online "universe," now would be an excellent time to start.
In the grand scheme of things, understand that designing a website isn't something you should do "after the fact." It needs to be a part of the growth and development process for your organization from the outset, no different from any other type of marketing you're investing in. Many small businesses, in particular, come to wish that they had partnered with a more professional agency earlier in the process than they did. The lost capital alone — not to mention the massive time loss from creating a poorly designed site that you then have to fix — is a major pain point that most find hard to shake.
Thankfully, it doesn't have to be this way. Lost opportunities, time, energy, and money don't have to be in your future. All you have to do is make an effort to understand not only why designing a website for your business is so important but also why it's essential that you make sure to get it right.
Why Properly Designing a Website Is Important
In a best-case scenario, a website is more than just a general calling card for your company. It's a legitimate resource that instantly conveys who you are, what you do, and why people should care about your brand instead of a competitor.
A properly designed website can and will get this idea across instantly. A website that is little more than an afterthought in a larger marketing campaign will do the opposite.
1st Impressions Count
The more positive an impression you can make on people, the more likely they will spend time on your page. The more time they spend, the higher the chances they will make a purchase. At that point, your products and services can speak for themselves - but they won't get the opportunity to if your website doesn't allow for it.
Maximizes SEO
Another reason why properly designing a website is so important is that it aids your larger digital marketing strategy, especially regarding search engine optimization (SEO). The higher you rank on an engine like Google, the more traffic you will receive. One study indicated that the highest-ranking page for a keyword gets the most search traffic roughly half the time.
However, the reverse is also true. Another study indicated that just 0.63% of Google searchers, in particular, will ever click on any result from the second page of whatever they searched for. This means that if your website isn't as high up on the first page of results as possible, it may as well not be on the Internet at all.
Enhances Customer Service and Retention
Finally, consider that your website should also be a cornerstone for the customer service that your business is capable of offering. Again, you must look at your business' website as more than just a basic resource for contact information and operating hours. It needs to be filled with helpful information about not only your products and services but also answers to questions people frequently ask and insight into topics that they will find interesting.
Research has indicated that about 81% of people say that a positive customer service experience increases the chances of that person making another purchase from the same brand in the future. Not only that, but about 61% of people say that they would switch to a competitor without hesitation after just one poor customer service experience.
So not only does your website become an invaluable resource for the people who are just finding out about your business for the first time, but it continues to act as one for people who have purchased from you in the past. A well-designed website that positions you as an authority figure builds trust, which goes a long way toward building long-term loyalty as well.
When you also consider that it costs an estimated five to seven times more to obtain a new customer than it does to just keep one of your existing, satisfied ones, you begin to get a better sense of just what an important idea this really is.
Elements of Good Web Design
A good business website is like a piece of art — it can mean a lot of different things to different people. Some just want to know if you're open on a holiday or have a particular item in stock. Others are researching a larger purchase and looking for information they can objectively trust. Your site must do all of this and more at the exact same time.
That is to say, there is certainly a degree of subjectivity to what makes web design "good." However, there are also a number of core elements that most (if not all) high-quality websites for businesses share.
UI & UX
It takes into consideration user interface and user experience design best practices. Your site needs to do more than just look visually attractive. It needs to be easy to navigate. Someone shouldn't have to work hard to find whatever they're looking for. If the design is too complicated and the choices are too overwhelming, all you're doing is increasing the likelihood that they'll hit the "Back" button in their browser and never return.
Performance
It is fast. Most of us know how frustrating it can be to click on a link only for a website to take too long to load. But what you might not realize is that 39% of people say they will stop viewing a site entirely if the images don't properly load or if the site itself takes too long to display. By most estimates, if your site doesn't load in three seconds or less, you start losing huge amounts of traffic.
Responsive
It leverages responsive web design, particularly in the mobile space. These days, it isn't just a desktop or laptop computer that your site needs to look and function well on. In an era when there are over seven billion mobile users on the planet, it should come as no surprise that by the end of 2021, those devices amounted to about 54.4% of all global Internet traffic. Responsive web design means that regardless of what device someone is viewing your site on — be it a smartphone, a tablet, or something else entirely — your site still functions well without needing to design multiple versions.
Content Is Factored In
It understands that content is king. People want to do business with brands they trust. If they trust the larger company, they will trust your products and services. To get to that point, you need to position yourself as an authority. Creating helpful content like blogs and videos is one highly effective way to do it. If there is an industry-related topic that you have a unique take on, write a blog post about it. Reach out to other sites and offer to write guest posts. Record high-quality video content like interviews, product demonstrations, or testimonials, and make sure that content lives on your website and on places like YouTube. High-quality and purposeful images are also a big part of this. You always need to make sure that the content you're creating is paired with visually appealing, relevant images to increase its authority.
Uses CTA's
It utilizes design elements like calls-to-action. Whether you end a page with a call to "click here to download our free guide" or "call us today for more information," you need to make it clear what "next step" you want someone to take and they're more likely to do so.
While there are other elements that make websites for businesses high quality, these are among the most essential. They also illustrate why it's so important to partner with a team of professionals on your business' website — they can turn all of these potential obstacles into legitimate opportunities to increase traffic, convert leads, and grow your business along the way.
Related Article: Web Design Strategy Guide For Business Success
Putting Your Best Foot Forward When Designing a Website
Overall, it's important to see your website for what it truly is: the rock-solid foundation upon which all of your other outreach efforts are built. It's both a helpful educational tool and an invaluable marketing asset to attract and convert potential customers at the same time.
To put it another way, consider your business's website as (arguably) the most important "employee" you have. The one that represents your organization 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The one that is always there to answer someone's question or to solve their problem.
Everything else — from your social media profiles on sites like Facebook and Twitter to your paid ads — points directly to it. If your website isn't built to convert traffic into sales, you can spend all the money on other marketing channels you want, and they still won't yield the results you're after. All the Facebook followers in the world won't do you any good if you don't have a viable way to convert them into paying, satisfied customers.
When executed properly, a high-quality website — coupled with other online marketing tactics — can help your business accomplish what would have taken years far faster. Not taking it seriously today and failing to invest in this critical resource will ultimately just hold you back. You may still be able to grow and gain new customers, but you won't be anywhere near your full potential.
Our team offers expert services for web design in Tampa and to clients across the nation. We are here to help you better understand what a properly designed website can do for your business in the right circumstances and execute that vision in the most effective way possible. Whether you understand the importance of designing a website but don't have the ability to do so on your own or want to embrace the process but aren't sure where to begin, we're always here to help.
