Web Design

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Web Design

Web Design

Web Design: A Critical Component Of Your Overall Marketing Plan

Consumers often learn about a business when they do an internet search and the site pops up in the results. When they click on this link and arrive at the site, what do they see? Website design plays a large role in whether the visitor stays on the site or returns to the search engine results page and looks elsewhere for the desired information.

What does your site say about your organization? If the wrong message is being delivered, you are missing out on customers. Learn what an effective website includes, how to choose a web design provider, and what additional services should be considered when making this choice. With this information, it will be easy to create a website that attracts visitors and have them exploring the site to learn more about the business and its offerings.

Creating An Effective Website

Some websites draw visitors in immediately while others turn them off. First, an effective website fulfills a purpose. It provides exactly what the user is searching for. Certain sites are designed to entertain visitors while others are for informational purposes only. The overall website needs to have a purpose, and the same is true of each page on the site. When this goal is achieved, visitors will arrive at the site and stay to look around.

Internet users have a very short attention span. In fact, a human browsing the internet has a shorter attention span than a goldfish. Keep this in mind when creating a website and ensure all important information can easily be found. If the visitor has to search for what they need, they will likely go to another site.

When creating and adding content to the site, be sure to organize it logically. Bullet points are helpful, and visitors love infographics that allow them to obtain the desired information at a glance. Use headings and subheadings where appropriate, and avoid using filler words to boost the content. Doing so is actually harmful, as nobody wants to weed through unnecessary words to get what they are after.

Color and font choices also affect how a visitor reacts to a website. For instance, contemporary fonts that don’t have a decorative finish produce better results. These are known as Sans Serif fonts and include Verdana and Arial. Both are easy to read on a computer or electronic device. Try to restrict the use of fonts to three different typefaces and avoid using more than three point sizes. This helps to streamline the design and makes the page easier to read.

When selecting website colors, be sure to use contrasting shades for the text and background. Doing so makes it easy to read the information presented. Vibrant colors can be overwhelming and should be used only for buttons or call to actions. Be sure to include white space on the page as well so it doesn’t appear cluttered.

Images draw viewers in. Don’t rely solely on photos, however. Include infographics, videos, and other graphics to engage the visitor.

Regardless of what elements are included on the page, a website needs to load quickly or the visitor will leave and go elsewhere. A website that takes more than two seconds to load loses nine percent of visitors. If the site takes five seconds to load, 38 percent of visitors abandon it. At seven seconds, more than half of internet users who arrive on the site leave.

The same is true if the website is not mobile-friendly, as individuals now rely on their mobile devices more than traditional computers when they desire information. If the site cannot be easily viewed on a mobile device or it appears differently than it does on a traditional computer, you may be losing out on business. We ensure this is not the case by making certain the site appears the same regardless of which device it is viewed on.

These are only a few of the many things that must come together to create an effective website. Others include layout and site navigation. We take all elements and combine them to create an outstanding website that will draw people in and encourage them to browse.

Choosing A Web Design Provider

Business owners often want to know what to look for when selecting a web design provider.  Price is often the first thing considered, and this is a mistake. As outlined above, the quality of the website has a direct impact on user experience. A bad experience can lead to the loss of a potential or existing customer and no business wants that. Consider the following when you go to select a provider to work with for your website so you get an effective site that produces results.

Determine whether the provider uses templates when creating a site. Is each site custom-built to meet the needs of the client? The goal is to have a site that distinguishes itself from competitors, and this is less likely when templates are used. Certain providers offer both options based on the requirements of the clients they serve. When possible, choose a custom site to stand out in the crowd.

Ask for references and examples of sites the provider has designed. Don’t stop here, however. Be sure to ask for concrete data that shows how the site produced for the client. Look for increased sales, a rise in traffic that correlates with the new site, or other data that can be verified.

When evaluating sites, be sure to take into account the business represented by the site. For instance, don’t assume a plain website isn’t effective. That actually may be all that is needed for the business to grow and thrive. This depends on many factors, such as the local competition and the industry itself.

Ask if the web design provider represents any direct competitors. While it is helpful to have a provider that is familiar with the industry when designing the site, a clear conflict of interest should be avoided. Take into account whether the provider still works with that company when deciding whether a new web designer needs to be selected.

Who will be the contact person within the organization? As many elements must come together to create an effective website, multiple people may work on the site at different times. Learn whether there will be one person you speak to regarding any problems that arise or if different people must be contacted depending on the stage of the project. This information is helpful when something needs to be altered as the process moves forward.

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