Most website designers enjoy the creative process and want to work with businesses that lend themselves well to visually interesting products, colours and photography. Good website designers typically love to be challenged, to think outside the proverbial box and to flex their creative muscles on every project. Unfortunately, all too often we see dazzling creative displays, visually stunning layouts and website designs that are altogether ‘different’, but miss the mark when it comes to communicating a marketing message to their target audience. Think about your audience – do they need to be impressed with an animation sequence on your home page? Are you creating too much “fluff” and hiding resources your website visitors are actually seeking? You would be surprised how often this happens.
If you are working with a web design company, be sure they understand the main purpose of your website, whether it’s to provide information, convert traffic into leads or send a clear marketing message. The internet is full of beautiful websites that are difficult to navigate and/or provide no return for their respective businesses. Whether you are designing the website yourself, or using a web design company, try to ensure your site is meeting the following objectives:
- Sends a good first impression to prospective buyers
- Understands who and why visitors are coming to your site and offers a clear path
- Is simple to navigate on any platform or screen resolution
- Provides a ton of information on your products and services, including pricing (if possible)
- Outmatches your competition for design aesthetics, ease of use and resourcefulness
Present information on your products or services that is clear, easy to comprehend by your least savvy prospects, and that creates a positive and enjoyable shopping experience. As mentioned in the above points, understanding who your prospective customers are and what critical information it is they are looking for at the early stages of their shopping experience will be paramount. The last thing you want to create is an ‘all sizzle, no steak’ situation that only proves to frustrate your website visitors and send them running to your competitors.