The internet. It’s a strange, wonderful, and sometimes terrible place.
A place where you can start off Googling Andrew Lloyd Webber’s birthday, then three hours later you’re watching a compilation video of soldiers being reunited with their dogs, wondering, “How did I end up here?”
Whether you’re of the mind that the internet is great, or you’re the kind of person that thinks it’s a waste of time, if you have a business, you need to have a website. People want to know about you, your products and services, and compare you to other businesses before they take the plunge and give you their money.
Not only do you need a website, you need a website with great web design. Good web design:
1. Shows you’re a professional.
Imagine you’re shopping for new clothes. The first store you walk into has clothes all over the floor, nothing is organized, and no one who works there can answer your questions. You’d probably leave soon after entering without buying anything. Similarly, potential customers aren’t going to stick around your website if it’s disorganized and unkempt. A professional looking website tells people that you and your business are professional as well.
2. Makes your site look trustworthy.
Web design is the number one factor people use to determine a site’s trustworthiness, and it takes them less than a second to decide. With so many other websites to choose from, a potential customer isn’t going to bother with your business if they don’t trust your site.
3. Can attract new business.
The chances of someone stumbling across your website is significantly greater than the chances of someone stumbling across your brick and mortar store. When someone finds your website, you’re not there to present yourself and your business in its best light and convince someone to become a customer. You need to make sure that your website is putting its best foot forward with good design, important information, and calls to action.
4. Can increase conversions.
Good web design goes beyond making a website look good. Good web design also ensures that a website’s navigation is intuitive. If someone is researching your products or services, you want it to be as easy as possible for them to find the information they need. If they can’t, they won’t hesitate to go back to the search results page and find the information elsewhere. Make sure people can easily find the information they need, and turn potential customers into paying customers.