The relationship between a business and its website is one of the biggest factors in the success of the business in our increasingly digital world. If a business wants any chance of continuing to bring in new customers and retaining its loyal customers, it has to have a website that is easy to use and eye-catching. Read below to inform yourself about what businesses need to know about effective web design.
Visual Aesthetics
The first thing that potential customers will see on a business’s website is the home page. A home page needs to invite the customer in and give a comforting vibe. Making a website visually pleasing requires the input of many different parties to create an end result that shines while also appealing to the target audience.
The first party involved should be the business owner. The business is their brainchild, so they likely have many ideas about things like color schemes, visuals, and photos that they want on their website. They also have extensive knowledge about their customer base and will have insight into the things that will appeal to them. The second party is the web designer. They will work with the business owner to bring their ideas to life on the screen using different design tools and working through several different iterations until the owner is satisfied. The third party is the web developer. Once the web designer has a general idea of the desired aesthetics of the business, the web developer will build the website around those desires.
With all the components put together, a business should be able to launch a website that customers will love that is fun and easy, and that will bring customers back again and again.
Web Design Must Adapt Well to Different Devices
A big mistake that many businesses make is that they create websites that are only fully functional on a computer screen. This means that customers who almost exclusively use their mobile devices to browse websites and make purchases are not seeing the business website’s full potential. They may also have a harder time using the payment process and navigating the different website tabs. With the expert Magento responsive web design services provided by professionals, businesses can create their websites with many themes to choose from that are easily adapted to all devices. Responsive design means that websites are being designed to adapt to growing technology and can be easily tweaked as they are built and after they have been launched.
User-Friendly Navigation
Effective web design is achieved when a customer can enter a website, find what they need, purchase it, and leave satisfied and without a thought of confusion or frustration. The navigability of a website can make or break the profit margin of any given business because if a customer cannot find what they need on the website, they will get easily frustrated and probably leave. The goal is to have an easy in-and-out process where customers can go straight to their desired products and then move on with their day.
Although user-friendly navigation ultimately means that the business will end every interaction with a sale, the movement through the website should be enjoyable along the way. A website that has fun features like quizzes to determine the right product for the customer or tabs where the customer can learn more about the values of the business gives helpful information to them. The more knowledge that the customer has about the brand, the more they can share with their friends and bring in more customers. This kind of curated experience also builds brand loyalty as it makes the customer feel like they have found a business that listens to its customers and gives them what they want without hassle.
Seamless Check-out Technology
How many times have you been on the cusp of purchasing something online but the checkout process was such a nightmare that you gave up and exited out of the webpage? Although this doesn’t happen as much anymore with modern browser extensions that can autofill payment information and safe authentication processes, there are still some businesses out there that have not gotten with the program.
A big part of effective web design includes the entire checkout webpage and checkout process. Businesses that still have old checkout systems that require customers to manually enter their card information and offer no other alternative are losing business because customers nowadays do not have the patience for this anymore. Manually inputting credit card information should always be an option just in case, but business websites should also have several other payment options to click on like PayPal and Apple Pay at the very minimum. More options mean more ways to make money from customers.
Design Consistency
Coming back to the idea of visuals, a business website’s design should be consistent throughout. That means if your business is going to update its look, it has to be done on every single page of the website, from the homepage to the checkout page. A cohesive flow through the pages, while the customer is searching for what they need, will keep them happy and prevent overstimulation. A website should also keep to a simple design so that it is easier to adjust things throughout the website. Busy web pages lead to confusion and will likely lead to customers getting lost in the mix. Keep a consistent flow both on your website and social media accounts so that your customers will always recognize your business’s logo and aesthetic.
High-Quality Content
A big turn-off when customers enter a website is seeing content that does not reflect well on the brand. If a business does a shotty job of uploading photos, videos, and other content to its website, then potential customers will think that they do not care about their brand image or they cannot afford to hire good web designers. This can turn people away simply because they will start to worry about whether the products they buy from the website will be of poor quality as well.
Effective web design requires a lot of elements to come together to create a shopping experience that is pleasant for customers. The advice above can apply to all kinds of businesses and should be used when building a new website or updating an old one.
