Web design has taken on a whole new meaning in recent years. It is no longer enough to set up a mediocre website. It is critical that the site is designed well, stylish, appropriate to the business and useful for visitors and the business alike. So does your website have what it takes? The design and set up of the site is just the first step. It has to be followed up by development, updating the software and the content. Facebook and LinkedIn pages are necessary tools and get your business further exposure, yet on their own, they are definitely not enough. These days, every company needs to have a website otherwise they are losing out to the massive online market where they can sell or promote their business. Finally, you will need to optimise the site by using SEO friendly content.
A poorly designed and unattractive website actually does harm to your business. The image portrayed to the public is undesirable and counterproductive. So what makes a site effective and successful?
For starters, its appearance has to reflect current trends and should be user-friendly and intuitive to navigate. The landing page is the first impression readers will get from your business. It should be visually appealing, polished and professional. Moreover, the content needs to be relevant, interesting, informative, and add value to the reader. It should be SEO optimised and written specifically for your business. All these elements have to be incorporated into the website design and development.
The web is populated by all kinds of business, large and small, and there are private individuals with their own websites to compete against. Your challenge as a business owner is to attract users to your site and keep their attention fit as long as possible. This ensures the best chance of closing a sale or getting new clients.
An appropriate colour scheme typically contains three or perhaps two primary elements. They should create the tone for your business. Too many colours distract from the content, which is what keeps them on your site longer. The content text has to be clear and easy to read, and not too small. Don’t try to be too creative with the fonts. It is preferable to use a standard typeface that is familiar to the readers and easy to read. Meaningful graphics are what attracts the eye upon first glance. They also add colour to what would otherwise be a boring page full of text.
What about quality photos? They will increase the visual appeal of the site if good photographs are used. High-quality product images, photos, and images are extremely important for online retailers. One can buy a decent camera for a reasonably low price and take photos of your products and business premises. One can purchase stock pictures from reputable sellers online. One should never ‘steal’ a photo, or an image from another site, or a Google search. You might find your business faced with multiple lawsuits!
The layout works better if it is kept simple, straightforward and uncluttered. Allow for adequate white space on the web page. Style should work hand in hand with substance to create the most effective impact. Your readers will be looking for useful information to help them make a buying decision; therefore, it must be relevant to that. Well written content also serves to boost the image and perception of your business. It can improve the visitors’ confidence in your business which is more likely to lead to a deal being made, or the sale concluded. Of course, the content needs to be regularly updated in order to remain relevant, and offer visitors re-visiting the site something fresh and new. Be clear, concise, compelling and interesting.
Communication with your visitors is another area that shouldn’t be neglected. Using the word ‘you’ instead of we, or I, puts the focus on the visitors and makes them feel important and valued. The content needs to be really good, so consider using a professional content writer if you want the job done correctly. Interactive content such as animated banners, snappy and well-taken videos will add an interest quotient to tote site and keep visitors around longer. Provide downloadable material such as podcasts, presentations, PDF files, and forms for visitors to have the opportunity of taking some of your business’s information with them.
At 4Sight Group we can we can build your website and help you get the best results from it.