A Beginner’s Website: What Is Web Design and Why Does It Matter?

A Beginner’s Website: What Is Web Design and Why Does It Matter?

If you want your website to be successful, you need a strong website. So what is web design and why does it matter? We answer these questions and more below.

Keyword(s): what is web design

These days it seems as though everyone we know is connected to a digital device on a regular basis. Technology and the Internet have both taken over our lives in the modern twenty-first century. The good news is businesses like yours have learned to make the most of this new, ever-growing online marketplace.

Consumers everywhere are becoming more and more reliant upon a brand’s online presence. Successful businesses know they need to optimize their online customer engagement if they want to stay relevant with their competitors.

Consider the fact that there are now over 200 million active websites on the Internet at any given moment. If you want your business’s brand to thrive, you need to take its web design seriously.

Don’t worry if you’re wondering, “What is web design, and why does it matter?”. Fortunately, this article will tell you everything you need to know to get started.

Understand Your Target Audience

Your business’s products and services cater to a unique consumer base. In other words, your business has a target audience to direct all marketing strategies. Before you launch any kind of marketing avenue, you need to have a solid understanding of the people you’re trying to reach.

This is even true of your web design strategy. How you present your business will make a significant impression and it’s your job to make the most of it. This impression, fortunately, will connect with a certain subsection of all online users.

It’s important to make sure all your marketing reaches that subsection of consumers. Take the time to really think about what kind of online user will most benefit from your businesses products or services.

Is your target audience young and eager for futuristic innovation and “newness”? Perhaps your brand caters more to an older, traditional audience. No matter what they look like, these are the people who should be impressed with your website upon the first contact.

Start with a Consistent Branding Strategy

Once you have an understanding of your business’s target audience, it’s time to really develop its brand. Your business’s brand, in essence, is its underlying personality. If you really want to connect to your target consumer base, you need to know how to talk to them.

A brand establishes the “soul” of any business’s marketing strategy. What kind of brand makes sense for your business to present? Is your brand funny and lighthearted, or is it more of a nostalgic, passionate type?

It’s important to make sure your business’s brand stays consistent throughout any marketing avenue your business employs. For your business’s website, this is especially true. A business’s website is similar to its online business card – any visitors will evaluate whether they align with the brand it presents.

A brand will shape many of the aesthetic features on a website. It will dictate the appropriate logo design, colour scheme, font types, and even tone of voice. A well-developed brand is crucial for any website design to thrive in the digital marketplace.

Once your brand is established, you can start developing all that engaging, relevant content you know is going to impress your target audience. This content, though, needs to stay accessible from all points on your website. In other words, you can’t forget about the importance of your site’s information architecture.

What Is Web Design Information Architecture?

Information architecture is actually a significant part of an appropriate web design strategy. Online users need to be able to easily navigate through your site to accomplish any task.

For example, they need to be able to find your contact information quickly and easily. If you also sell products through your site, it’s important to make sure the overall structure of the site makes sense for users to browse and purchase your stock.

Easy navigation can make or break a user’s interest in exploring further. If your website’s architecture is too complex, many users will likely move on to a more simple website.

Your Website Needs To Present a Positive User Experience

Don’t undersell the importance of a proper website design when it comes to inspiring – and maintaining – customer loyalty. As mentioned above, a user’s first impression of your website will make or break whether they’ll keep exploring your products or services.

In fact, statistics seem to agree the overall online user experience is more important than the finer details of a business’s operations. One study by Gartner found 64% of people prioritize a positive customer experience over prices. If they find your website and are unimpressed, it’s likely they’ll move on. There are many onsite factors play a role in how users will engage with your brand, this infographic created by UK Web Host Review illustrates some of the usability statistics to look for.

Don’t lose out on those potential customers just because you refuse to invest in proper website design. When users visit your website, they should experience a seamless, engaging interaction.

All Digital Marketing Points Back To a Website

Making the most of a successful website design comes with many advantages. This is because, in many ways, a website is a foundation for all other digital marketing strategies.

Think about it. When your business really promotes and develops its social media presence, for example, where will your posts be pointing users? The answer is you want them to eventually make it back to your website where they can find out more about your products or services.

Social media marketing and effective website design go hand-in-hand. Social media is one of the best ways to genuinely connect and interact with your target consumer base. Impressing them through these social networks is a great way to inspire loyalty in your overall brand.

Don’t underestimate the power and potential of a well-developed social media marketing campaign. If you really want to make the most of this marketing avenue, you should consider hiring expert social media marketing services available to you in South Africa.

A Proper Website Can Benefit Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Once your website is fully developed and optimized, it’s amazing what it can accomplish for you. A highly sought after website, after all, is no small matter. Your business deserves to profit from the ever-expanding online consumer base.

One way of cashing in on digital opportunities is through SEO strategies. You’re familiar with search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Bing. When users search for something on those sites, they’re directed to the most popular, useful websites associated with whatever they searched.

In other words, it’s a good idea for your business to aim to be at the top of that list of results. When someone in South Africa searches online for your products or services, are they going to see your website? This depends on whether the search engine algorithms find the website suitable enough to present.

Your business should do everything it can to be visible on those search engines. This means you need to make sure your website attracts and keeps online user engagement, even if you have to hire professional SEO services. It’s yet more proof proper website design is part of today’s successful business ventures.

Your Brand’s Reputation Is at Stake

Good website design will affect more than just the initial impression users get of your brand. If your website continues as an ineffective, unengaging experience, your brand’s overall reputation will suffer for it.

These days, the success of pretty much any brand is affected by whether their website is appealing to online users. In fact, statistics show 38% of online users will simply stop interacting with a website that is too unattractive.

You don’t want to be a part of this percentage, so you need to invest in proper web design. Otherwise, it’s pretty clear those users will go straight to your competitors in the area.

Mobile Website Access Is Crucial

When you’re walking around town, what do you see the majority of people doing? In this digitized twenty-first century, you’ll likely see most people looking at their phones.

A website should be easily accessed from all kinds of digital devices. This functionality should be a top priority when considering investing in your brand’s website. A trusted web design service should be able to optimize your business’s site to be compatible with all kinds of technologies and systems.

Find the Best Web Design Services Near You

At this point in the article, you should have a pretty good idea of the answer to, “What is web design?”. As a responsible South African business owner, you know how important it is to stay on top of modern trends in the marketplace. This means you know you need a highly engaging website for your brand to cultivate.

We want to help South African brands manifest their highest potential. It’s crucial your brand markets itself properly to its online consumer base. Don’t forget to prioritize an attractive website design first.

In order to make the most of all the digital world has to offer, you should hire professional website design services. The good news is South Africa has a local solution to optimize those websites for businesses of all kinds. That’s why we encourage you to check out our website design services today so you can stay relevant in today’s market.