In today’s highly visual market, a poorly designed website can turn users off with little more than a glance. In fact, studies have shown that almost 40% of people will stop engaging with a website if they find the content or layout unattractive! That means that any snag a user hits on your site, from design to navigation, could be fatal to your chance of converting them into a lead. Like it or not, first impressions matter, and if you don’t make a strong impact with your site, you’re setting yourself up to miss out on potential business.
On the other hand, a design scheme that’s been well thought out and carefully implemented will draw viewers in and invite them to stick around for a while. It’s visuals that tend to grab the most attention, like images, illustrations, clever logos, and a memorable tagline or slogan. Let’s take a look at why good website design is important for every business and at some of the other ways your website can set up your brand up for success (or failure!)
Show users who you are
Every website portrays an image of the brand it represents. In other words, it tells a story about who you are. When you pair strong visuals with an organized design, it lends legitimacy to your site and helps to establish trust in your brand. If that sounds like nothing more than a string of buzzwords to you, think of it this way: users will equate the experience they have on your website with the experience they’re likely to have with your office.
For example, if a restaurant has unappetizing images of food on their site, a visitor will assume the food itself is unappealing. If your website is outdated and poorly organized, a user may expect your office to be “behind the times” and continue their search for services elsewhere.
It may not be fair, but you can count on users making assumptions about your brand based solely on your site. That’s why it’s essential to present a professional design that sends the message you want others to receive about your business! The Neon Canvas web design team is made up of experienced designers who consistently produce website work that exceeds expectations. We guarantee not only aesthetic appeal, but functionality as well, for a positive user experience overall.
Let users know what is important about your brand
All good websites operate on a hierarchy. This prioritizes information for busy users, so that even with a limited amount of time to interact with your site, they can grasp your brand’s most important message. The overall hierarchy of any good website will group each new section or page with structure. If you’re not sure what that means, consider the following:
The service, product, or idea you want your website to showcase. Using a strong or unique visual with a simple but compelling text block will help your most important feature to pop! Images, videos, scale, and color can also make your brand’s biggest “thing” to stand out to visitors the moment they open your site.
What supporting details would a user need to know to understand your essential element? Use secondary lines, invitations to click or scroll, and intriguing navigation to offer further information in subtle ways that won’t get in the way of the main design feature.
Clarify your call to action. Your website should always have a user goal in mind. Make it clear by creating a special color, button, or simple animation for this particular action. For example, if you offer free consultations, make this call to action prominent throughout your site by using a coordinating color for the button and placing it in an eye-catching position.
Control your message with brilliant branding
Your website is essentially a branding portal for your business. It creates an image of who you are, and what you want the world to know about your business and the services you offer. The internet is full of conflicting information that you aren’t always in charge of! However, good branding will allow you to tell your story in a way that conveys the mood, tone, and mission of your company. In other words, you can control your own message with a website that uses excellent branding effectively.
Is your office environment full of fun or more on the serious side? Do you work with adults, children, or all ages? What services do you offer? Why should a visitor choose to connect with your business? All of these answers – and more! – should be easily answered within your website, using text that is clear and concise along with engaging visuals.
Pay attention to how responsive your website is
The percentage of users viewing websites from mobile devices has skyrocketed in recent years. Ideally, any website will look just as good on a smartphone or tablet as it does on a desktop. If you’re not prioritizing a responsive design, you’re going to risk losing visitors within seconds of them clicking on your site!
When building a website that will engage users immediately and keep them coming back, you’ll want to factor in the basics of good design along with usability, functionality, and responsiveness. Other important elements include your logo and branding, defined color palette, intuitive interface, concise copy, and clear calls to action. To put it in simple terms, you want a website that looks good and works well, too.
The way users experience your website will carry over into the way they perceive your business as a whole. While poor website design can negatively impact your company’s credibility, a high-quality site can extend your sphere of influence and help to create (and convert!) new leads.
First impressions matter when it comes to your website, and you want to make them count! Neon Canvas is proud to offer a range of responsive web design packages and web development services that will take your site from basic to brilliant. Our clients consistently experience tangible results, including views and clicks, customer engagement, and improved performance rankings.
As always, we appreciate you and we’re grateful for the trust you’ve placed in our expert team to help you succeed. If your current website isn’t driving results, let’s build one together that will!
Kyle Fagala, DDS, MDS
Co-Founder, Neon Canvas