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It seems like a lot of companies, especially small businesses, are not fully realizing the importance of good web design. In today’s world, where everything revolves around technology, you must understand that your website nothing less than your company’s identity. It is usually people’s first encounter with your business, and web design is something that is either going to create a sense of credibility and trust or exactly the opposite.
[bctt tweet=”No matter how good or bad your #service is, it is likely to be judged entirely by its covers, or in this case, by the #design of your #website.”]
Contents
Signs that your website needs improvement (or total redesign)
Your homepage is crowded
You may think that putting a lot of information on your homepage is going to do you service and that it will please the audience. But it does exactly the opposite. Remember – the simpler, the better. What your homepage needs to contain is a catchy call to action, little bit of valuable information, attractive image and that is it. Everything else can be found on other pages (that should, of course, be well organized). The worst mistake, besides unpleasing aesthetics, is to clutter your front page with all sorts of different, unimportant information.
You don’t invest enough thought in content
Even though the design is the very first impression that your customers will have, valuable content that is updated often is also extremely important. Aesthetics will attract people and give to your company a certain tone, but it lasts as long as 10 seconds unless they find enough of the valuable information.
If you are starting a blog on your website, think the content through, and make it professional, concise and clear. Something that will serve your customer’s interest. Another mistake that is very often is packing your texts with keywords and thinking it does good for your SEO, but it actually does exactly the opposite.
It is easy to get lost
It applies to two things: getting lost in the sea of animated content and getting lost as a result of a bad website organization, both of which should be improved if it’s the case. Short marketing videos and animations are very tricky, since it’s not easy to find a right measure, and people tend to overuse it. Kepp it simple, and don’t overcrowd your pages with multitudes of flashy signs that are nothing but a distraction. Also, creating a well-organized website is very important, since bad navigation is going to make people leave very early when they see that they can’t find quickly what they are looking for.
What does it mean for your company?
Losing credibility
Even if you’re providing your customers with excellent, high-quality service, if your website isn’t showing it, people will lose the sense of credibility. Your web-design must be aligned with your company’s philosophy and quality since it tells your company’s story, and it should be done professionally. Look at it as your 24/7 salesperson – would you stick around if the service is bad and unprofessional?
Stuck in outdated trends
Bad web design overall gives an impression of an unprofessional company with zero sense of credibility. It also makes you seem a bit outdated and out of touch, as if you’re not aligned with current customer needs. And who wants that?
Fewer customers
The outcome is simple: a badly designed website equals way fewer customers, and fewer customers equal less money. It is not easy to measure the costs of bad design, but it is much higher than you’d expect because for a potential customer a bad website equals bad company. And no amounts of word-of-mouth marketing can diminish the overall cost of bad design.
How can you improve it?
Update, update, update
But not only for the sake of updating. Your content should be well thought out, and it should be of service to your audience. Some how-to-videos are a good example of good quality content, and people seem to enjoy it. Also, always keep your customers updated on the important news since it will show them that you care and very importantly, it will make your company seem professional.
Make it user-friendly and eye pleasing
Simple, clear, concise. Three very important words when it comes to design. It should be easy to access any needed information a customer may be looking for. You can’t be professional in every field – and design is a field for itself, so don’t hesitate to invest in an experienced web design agency, that will make your website up to date and user-friendly.
Must be compatible with a variety of devices
Keep in mind that most people are using their phones to access websites most of the time, and if your site is compatible only with desktop computers…it may be a big problem. Also, desktop-only compatibility affects your SEO big time, since it generates only smartphone-friendly websites for smartphone users.