What image is your website representing?
Sloppy clothes, greasy hair, grumpy face – Does this sound like somebody you’d want representing your company?
When a visitor comes to your website, that becomes the face of your business. If your website design has the virtual equivalent of bad presentation then your visitors may be put off even before they find out what you have to offer.
A good web design is like a welcoming smile in a clean, fresh shop. It is appealing to look at, you are able to wander around with ease and you can easily find what you are looking for. Customers are relaxed, responsive and happy to buy - be it products or services – or simply to make an enquiry.
Balancing Form and Function
Yes a website needs to look good as beautiful form attracts customers, and means they are happy to stay and look around for a while.
However, a beautiful shop with no products or sale assistants to be found is simply an attractive room. Likewise, a website that is all form and no function is unable to perform.
Designed for a purpose
First of all, a website has to be functional. After all, it has a job - to generate and facilitate leads – and it has to be able to do that job. This involves:
- Good navigation
- Easily identifiable features
- Communicating a key message to the customer.
With these principles in mind, you should be aiming for a web design that will:
- Look good
- Appeal to customers, and
- Perform in the real world.
A well designed website will not be all sizzle, it will not be distracting, it will be attractive, look professional and play a key role in helping your website do its job.
