Why is Web Design Important for Your Business?

How do you differentiate serious business owners from those who aren’t? Look at the value they place on their online presence. And we’re not talking about simply having a website. What we’re talking about is the quality of your web design.

At face value

In the minds of your website visitors, your business can best be summed up by how your website looks and performs. In fact, almost half of consumers consider your website design as the top-ranking factor in determining whether your business is trustworthy, or not. And the most critical part? Your website only has 0.05 seconds to convince your visitors that it is worthy of their attention and time.

This proves that websites and the businesses that own them are prone to snap judgments. And that’s perfectly understandable because humans are visual creatures. We rely heavily on what we see to make decisions. If what we see is something that appeals to our senses, we are automatically drawn to it. We feel excited and good about it.

Web designs are not an exception. Just ask the 38% of people who will stop using a website with a poorly designed layout. If you want to retain your website visitors and encourage them to keep on coming back to your website, you need to take your web design seriously. Remember, they will most likely use your web design as the basis of their opinion about your business’ credibility.

More than just impressions

Aside from making a positive first impression on your website visitors, user-friendly web design is an indicator of your business’ high level of compassion for your customers. The opposite is just as true.

Think about it: when you visit a cluttered website that is overflowing with way too many texts, images and videos all vying for your attention, and with no menu to guide you through the page (or pages), there’s a high chance that you would feel confused, a little bit annoyed, and determined to leave that site as soon as possible.

But when you visit a website that has clear navigation and logically-arranged elements, there is a high chance that you will feel at ease exploring it. This is why many experts in the field of web design, including us, believe that clean and simple designs are the best. Rather than overwhelming your visitors, they make it easier for them to digest the information on your site. They not only show that your business understands what your visitors want – a stress-free user experience – but is also committed to delivering that. When your visitors see that you’re looking after their needs, they will be more open to trust you and reward you with their loyalty.

Higher engagement

Web design doesn’t just make your business look good online. Clean and user-friendly web design also helps increase the time that your users spend on your website. In other words, your web design affects the level of engagement of your visitors and customers and shapes their overall experience of your brand.

Engaging your visitors comes first before converting them. After all, how can you convert a visitor who didn’t even spend five seconds on your website? When your visitors spend more time on your website than your competitors’ sites, it means they get more value from your site and they most likely find it more enjoyable and easier to explore and navigate. The longer time they spend on your site, the higher their engagement and the greater your chances for successfully converting them.

Bottom-line impact

Perhaps the most convincing reason why you should give more thought to your web design is this: it affects your bottom line.

Attractive and intuitive web designs have a higher chance of retaining and engaging your visitors, which is a prerequisite for a successful conversion. The more time your visitors spend on your website, the more opportunities you have to engage with them, which leads to a higher chance of them availing your product or service. If you really want to drive high-quality traffic to your website, and more importantly, convert them, we recommend you invest in your web design. Your visitors will thank you for it with their loyalty, which can be measured by their purchases and word-of-mouth referrals.

Web design goals

Of course, the question of what makes a web design attractive and intuitive is a subjective one. Add to this the many different web design strategies and tips you can find online (and even offline), then we can understand why some business owners feel confused when the topic of web design is being discussed.

Every visual element on your site – from the typeface you used for your call-to-action button, images to your colour palette – play a role in your website’s ultimate goal: convert your visitors. To make a significant impact on your bottom line, we recommend that you combine your expertise – what you know about your customers and website visitors – with the expertise of a professional web designer.

Web design tips

In order to achieve the level of attractiveness and intuitiveness that will leave your visitors wanting for more, we suggest you take a long, hard look at your existing website, and ask yourself the following questions: upon landing on your homepage, can you immediately see and understand what your brand’s unique selling proposition is? Are there elements that seem out of place, conflicting or disorganised? Can you easily figure out how to navigate the site? Are there easy-to-understand and highly visible links that are relevant to you as a visitor?

Refer to your buyer persona or customer profiles to gain a clearer understanding of their needs and wants, then assess how your website is doing in terms of providing that. Use tools like heatmaps to identify the parts of your website that your visitors are drawn to, and which areas they don’t seem to show an interest in. Utilise website analytics to better understand your visitors’ behaviour, particularly, which page or area of your site they spend the most time in, and which they engage the least with. Then use this data to help you make informed decisions about which element of your web design is doing well, and which you need to improve on.

A worthy investment

Web design is hard work, but the hard work you will put into crafting a clean, intuitive and user-friendly web design for your business will pay you dividends in the long run. We urge you to do what it takes to have a professional-looking website for your business. We can guarantee that you’ll be glad you did.