Crafting your online presence: Benefits of custom web design
Marketing changed dramatically with the advent of the internet, and the pace of those changes accelerated over the past few years. Today, there are roughly 135,000,000 websites in the U.S. alone, which means businesses have a lot of competition. A quality website is essential to stay on top of the competition. Here are a few of the benefits businesses enjoy with a well-designed website.
Builds your company’s brand
Customers do more business with a brand they recognize and trust. Most people hesitate to purchase products or services from an unknown entity. A custom web design allows business owners to build their brand and keep customers coming back for additional offerings in the future. Working with a trusted design team ensures the best marketing results.
Differentiate your brand from competitors
Shoppers generally compare products or services using the information from a website as their guide. When a site’s design sets it apart from competitors, shoppers are far more likely to complete a purchase. Quality, well-designed sites provide quality photos and videos as well as informative text that provides the information customers need to make an informed buying decision.
Customers enjoy a quality buying experience
Today’s customers expect a website to offer speed, convenience, and clarity. Sites that load slowly, are difficult to navigate, and fail to explain a product’s or service’s benefits are quickly abandoned. The best websites open quickly and are a joy to navigate. Explanations are clear and concise, and information is enhanced with quality photos, video clips, and text.
Many older websites won’t display correctly on smartphones and tablets. Web design experts understand the issue and ensure their clients’ sites function properly regardless of the device used, which is known as responsive web design.
Security is enhanced
Cybersecurity is always an issue for site owners and customers. No one wants their data exposed to unauthorized individuals, which is another reason to opt for expert design services. According to industry sources, a cyberattack occurs every 39 seconds in the U.S. That scares customers, and they want to know a site they’re dealing with takes precautions to minimize the potential for attacks and data losses.
Fast checkouts are crucial
Some sites provide a good experience until a customer decides to make a purchase. If a site requires too much information during the purchase process, customers are likelier to abandon their cart rather than complete the purchase. Top web designers encourage clients to include a fast, easy purchase process to help boost their sales. Industry statistics show that shoppers abandon almost 70 percent of online shopping carts without completing the sale. While not all customers abandon their carts because of issues with completing the sale, many do. Properly designed sites minimize the odds of shopping cart abandonment.
Proper maintenance improves overall site performance
While the initial design of a website is crucial, routine updates are also important. All the major search engines routinely update their algorithms, and far too many sites run afoul of new requirements. While not all algorithm changes negatively impact a specific site’s rankings, many will.
In addition, stagnant sites won’t rank well. Content must change continuously so the site is fresh. Website design experts work with clients to ensure their site’s content evolves and includes high-quality information that visitors demand. The design team recommends new and innovative content strategies that attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back.
Start with an evaluation of your business’s needs
The first step in crafting a quality online presence is evaluating your current site to determine its good and bad points. Once that’s done, updating an existing design or creating a new one is easier. Contact an expert for help today.
