We`re all about good web design, and that`s because it`s such a cool and versatile tool for business. For those who might not know, web design refers to the design and layout of a website. On the surface, it’s just one more way to get your name and your services out there, but the process of designing a website is so much more than just what colour to choose for the background of your homepage. Clever and careful design can help decrease your existing business costs in surprising ways and can save you money on benefits you might have never even known existed.
Find New Leads – Your Presence Online
Far and away, the biggest benefit of having an online presence is being able to introduce yourself to people who would have never found you otherwise. However, even if they click on your listing in a search engine, it’s your website design that will make them stay (and maybe browse around a little). When someone clicks on your listing, they’ll be linked to either your home page or a landing page. Sometimes, these can be one and the same, and the elements that make them attractive to a lead are identical.
- Clean and Organized – Information should be easy to find and neatly arranged.
- Effective Use of Headers – Headers are the “headlines” scattered throughout your content. They should signal to your visitors what your information is about and make it easy to locate throughout your page.
- Clear Navigation – If your visitors can’t find what they’re looking for, they won’t stay. After all, there’s a whole Internet out there. It should be obvious and easy to navigate from page to page, or to search for specific material.
The importance of web design extends to how well your website shows up on mobile devices, too. Of all online traffic, 65% comes from mobile devices like phones and tablets, and 61% of these searchers are more likely to contact a business if their website is mobile-compatible.
Reduce the Costs of Printing and Distributing – Add an Online Catalog
If you have a lot of products or a portfolio of your work, you might have experienced firsthand the costs that can come with printing full-colour, glossy marketing material. Integrate that information into your web design, and you’ll have a catalog that never creases and can be updated in an instant.
Expand Your Reach to New Areas – Online Checkout and Location Pages
Perhaps you’re a small jewelry business in a small town, but you’d be willing to sell your rings and necklaces to customers all over the world. A website allows you to reach out to customers that might not even be in the same country you are, encouraging global growth and far-reaching brand awareness. If you sell products through an online storefront, you can include the regions you’re willing to ship to, and you can include a webpage that explains which areas you serve.
Reduce Time Spent on Customer Service Tasks – Include an FAQ
There’s a reason so many websites have a FAQ (frequently asked questions) section. If your customers can find the answer they’re looking for on your website, you won’t have to waste time on the phone going through the complete list of t-shirt colours you offer. Instead, you’ll be free to help a customer make a sale or place a customized order. Time is one of our most precious commodities, and this is one area where you’ll notice the savings immediately.
Recruit Fantastic Employees – Have a Career Page
A website is one of the best calling cards you have, and when you’re looking for new talent to add to your team, the company website is one of the first impressions they’ll receive. Include a career section in your website design and you’ll naturally attract exactly the kind of employee you’re searching for – because if they found that career section, they were probably searching for you, too.
A Reputation is Priceless – How Your Site Works (and What You Post)
Do you remember what happened with Facebook in March of 2018? Of course you do. That’s when one of the most powerful social media empires on the planet became the butt of jokes. It’s still a powerful contender in social media, of course, but everyone who uses it is a little more careful about what they share. No matter how the website changes or what new features they roll out, it’s in the collective consciousness that Facebook’s design allowed a third party to collect unauthorized data – and it’s cost $123 billion in revenue and counting.
Your website is the face that your brand shows the world, and you`ll have full control over what kind of content gets posted and what message you want to send. Carefully cultivating your reputation can set you apart as a trusted and valuable member of your industry, and that`s the kind of good press that makes the difference between someone buying a pizza from a generic chain or buying your local, artisanal pepperoni masterpieces. It`s a principle that holds true for every business of every size.
Effortless (and Cheaper) Advertising – Landing Pages
The cost of a full-page ad in a small, city-wide newspaper can run up to $15,000 – and it doesn’t even come with an email submission form. That same money could cover several months of online advertising, targeted specifically at customers already looking for what you offer.
Once they get to the landing page of your website (where the link they clicked on directs them to land), it functions as an extension of your ad, allowing them to freely browse for whatever catches their interest. Plus, if you’re running a limited-time special, adding the specifics of the deal to your website will take only a few minutes, and you can change it as often as needed with your current ad campaign.
Always Open, Always Accessible – Your Website Never Sleeps
You can only be in the office for so many hours before you’ve got to get some sleep. Your website, however, never has to close for the day. It should load quickly and reliably, no matter what device a customer is looking at it from. Even when you’re off on vacation or enjoying some well-earned rest, your website will still be available and ready to serve customers.
Grow a Relationship with Your Customers – Let’s Talk Social Media
A common element of most web design for businesses is a social media section, linking to various accounts like Twitter or Facebook. It’s easy to scoff at social media if you’ve never used it before, but the power of a funny cat GIF cannot and should not be underestimated.
Customers don’t want to be just another string of numbers in your database – they want to be valued, to be someone you know by name and warmly welcome when they walk in the door. Social media allows you to put a personality and a set of values on your brand, and when leads feel like they can connect with you, they’ll transform from a one-time purchase to a loyal and repeat customer.
Become an Authority in Your Field – Got a Blog?
When you or your brand are perceived as an authority on what you do, the value of your word – and your services – goes up. Make sure a blog`s included in your web design, as it`ll likely be the quickest and easiest way you`ll ever have to share your experience and expertise. Write about things related to your business, about the process and the history of what you do. You can even throw in a dash of personal anecdotes if you`re aiming for something a bit more casual. When you write something that people like and want to share, your reach will skyrocket past your usual customer base. That`s the kind of influence that money can`t buy.
At NetGain SEO, we handle everything from website design to social media management. To learn more about our services and how we can help grow your business, give us a call at 1-888-797-2455 or send us a message online.