Most organizations understand that having an appealing website is essential. At the end of the day, your internet presence can either build or ruin your company. Is it enough, however, to just have any old website design, or is something more specific required?
Putting your money into a professionally designed website can be quite daunting for a small business, especially if you are restricted by shallow pockets or web-related know-how. If you own a functional (though outdated) website, you may question the benefit of a makeover. You can find professional web designing services in the UK to help your revamp endeavors, however, it’s important to comprehend the complete scenario.
Evidence suggests that design is a vital component of your website. The arrangement of your business website affects your customer experience, generation of leads, and consequently your success.
Does It Really Matter?
The design of your website is imperative as we know that any potential consumers are concerned with how it looks and its user experience. Voluntarily or otherwise, we all react to visual stimuli and most of us are innately attracted to beautiful design. Considering your business website, statistics have repeatedly proven that potential consumers assess your company based purely on its looks, and will desert your site without hesitation if it lacks visual appeal
Think about it for a moment. What runs through your mind when you reach a website that looks like it was built in the ’90s? Do you think about progress and prosperity? Or do you subconsciously question their validity, their products, or their services – perhaps you even visit a competitor’s website instead!
Your website should create a positive impression and invite visitors to stay and interact with your brand for a long period of time. Or, if you have a haphazard and poorly designed website, it can be uninviting and offer no gratification.
A thorough study conducted by internet mammoth Google revealed that it takes only half a second for a visitor to form an opinion on a site they’ve just visited. Often, this opinion is followed by a knee-jerk reaction, which is typically either to leave the site or further explore what it has to offer.
What is ‘good design’?
Within the context of the internet and web applications, web design is more than the cosmetic aspects of attractiveness. It has everything to do with the user and how they interact with your website. A well-designed website will allow users the freedom to explore and locate the information they need, without having to work for it. Delayed gratification isn’t gratification at all.
Good design is a series of practices, steps, and measures taken to ensure the user gets a seamless, stressless, and gratifying browsing experience. It’s what brings back visitors over and over again. This is why design is coupled with user experience as a parameter to gauge its efficacy.
According to the founding father of information architecture, effective user experience is broken down into 7 key attributes that give users a great experience. Your website, product, or content should be:
- Findable
- Usable
- Useful
- Desirable
- Accessible
- Credible
- Valuable
Why does your website need work?
By now you may understand essentially what web design is and the purpose it fulfils. But, are you aware of what it means for your business? Web design has a direct impact on your bottom line, and here’s how:
User sentiment
The design architecture of your website determines the ease with which users will be able to fulfill their searches. Users usually know exactly what they are looking for and do not like to spend too much time looking for it. If a user is unable to locate what they’re looking for on your website, there is a good chance they will move on to a competitor’s website to find what they need there instead.
Movement
Because navigation is of utmost importance to your website design, it is crucial that it is well-designed. Hick’s Law is a popular method to analyze the psychology underlying the design. Hick’s law, simply put, is an encouragement to keep things uncomplicated. More options result in more confusion.
When we consider Hick’s Law, it makes sense to maintain simple navigation, and the options are limited.
Performance
A well-designed website will direct its visitors’ attention to the part they ought to be looking at. The design attributes can attract attention to discounts, action buttons, as well as assist users in locating interactive components. These and other factors can effectively nudge users to pursue a precise action.
Legitimacy
Designs that are contemporary and professionally executed tend to instill a high level of trust. An inadequately arranged web page will raise a big question about the credibility of a brand.
The high-quality design is an advocate for brand consistency, which helps to build trust. Customers are unlikely to identify your logo, colors, or style, especially if you have a new, more unrecognized brand. Your site will have to reflect the brand and reassure visitors that they’ve come to the correct place.
Responsiveness
At times, designers become obsessed with making a website appear flawlessly on a desktop as if it were a brochure. However, excellent website design must extend well beyond one screen size. In today’s mobile-friendly environment, businesses need highly responsive websites that perform well on devices of all sizes and types.
A large number of internet searches are conducted on mobile devices today, this manner of functioning is here to stay. Additionally, Google has now begun emphasizing a response-centric plan. That is why responsive websites that adjust seamlessly to the size of the screen are crucial to staying ahead of the competition.
Building an optimally designed website is no simple task. This is why most companies work with professional, experienced web design agencies such as Web Choice. Web Choice offers some of the very best web designing services in the UK. Web Choice is renowned for providing value-based solutions for small, medium, and large size companies. Your digital success is your business. If you’re on the lookout for profit-focused web design services in London, or any UK city for that matter, connect with Web Choice today.
