Why is web design important for a business?

Web design is important for a business because having a high-performing website is one of the key ingredients in the recipe for business success.

The performance of the website and overall digital marketing strategy can bring triumph or ultimate failure for a business, particularly if the business is still new and trying to find its place in the market.

By the way, it’s not enough to just simply have a website; Web design is a crucial aspect of any business’s online presence. Many businesses that fail in the first 12 months usually suffer from poor web design.

If you want to compete in your market and get ahead of your competitors, you need a website that has been carefully planned out and executed to a professional standard.

The web design, functionality, content and even maintenance of a business site can make or break a business’s chance of offline and online success.

In this article, I’ll discuss five key reasons for how a business website influences the success of a business and what you need to do if you hope to have a successful business website for yourself.

A Business Website Will…

Set the audience’s first impression of the business

When it comes to websites, your visitor’s first impression is often their last impression – make it count!

It takes about 50 milliseconds (ms) (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to subconsciously form an opinion about your website that determines whether they’ll stay or leave.

In other words, the majority of your potential customers may only visit your website once before deciding whether to do business with you or choose one of your competitors instead.

With this in mind, businesses MUST make a strong first impression with their website in order to attract new customers and retain existing customers.

Effective websites are holistic in nature

The best website designs get many key elements right and it can have a huge impact on a business and its customers.

The design, appearance, content, loading speed and functionality (responsive web design) of a business’s website are all elements that can greatly impact how customers perceive the business.

A well-designed website can make a positive first impression and keep customers on the page. The longer a customer remains on your business site, the more likely they will be to complete a call-to-action.

A poorly designed website with poor information architecture and/or outdated information will deter customers and send them to do business with a competitor instead.

Homepages need a high level of strategy, planning and execution

The homepage is usually the first page that most of your website visitors will see.

This page in particular needs to be user-friendly and provide the key information a potential customer needs to make a positive first impression.

This includes offering key informational content like:

• Clear, simple and straightforward information about what you actually offer. Nothing cute, clever, vague or jargonistic.
• Empathetic statements demonstrate the customer’s problem and show that you understand their pain points.
• Offering a solution to the problem – This could as a list of relevant services.
• Demonstrating your authority and expertise in providing the required solution. This could include supporting content like photos, videos, testimonials/reviews, certifications/qualifications/education, biographical information and additional resources such as blog articles.
• Outlining a basic 3-step plan showing the user how they can easily get from where they are now to their desired outcome.
• Pricing information or any guarantees you can offer.
• A strong call-to-action to clearly guide the user toward the next step they need to take to do business with you.

Including quality content like this will naturally support your overall SEO strategy.

Don’t overcomplicate your website design

Design matters, but a quality web design doesn’t mean it needs to be “beautiful” or flashy – It’s a piece of marketing, not a work of art. Keep your visual elements simple and useable.

It just needs to provide the customer with the information they need so that they can achieve their desired outcome which should align with doing business with your company.

• Follow standard conventions when it comes to your website design;
• Make sure it’s a mobile-friendly website and invest real time/money/effort into the mobile version.
• Use a simple layout for your content pages.

Create an expectation about the quality of your service (in the mind of the customer)

A company’s website is like a sales representative who works 24/7,  so you want your potential customers to have a quality first experience that leaves a lasting impression.

Helpful website = Higher potential for a smooth business transaction

The website’s content and design should be treated as the digital face of the company. It should be consistent with your branding and easy to use whilst providing helpful information similar to a friendly member of staff assisting your customers in a physical store.

A business website with clear, intuitive navigation and the right content that is kept up-to-date will create a positive first impression and plant the seed in the person’s mind:

“This website has been a great experience, therefore working with this business will be the same way”.

A seamless user experience will build trust and make potential customers feel confident they can successfully do business with you.

Avoid clutter and follow conventional UI/UX patterns

A disorganised website that is slow to load, hard to use or lacks useful content will make the business appear unprofessional/disinterested.

When customers land on a site like this and have a frustrating user experience, they are more likely to leave the site. This type of negative experience can lead the person to assume that your business would also provide poor customer service.

You can tell if a website might have this problem by looking at the bounce rate in Google Universal Analytics or the engagement rate in Google Analytics 4.

If the bounce rate is high (like above 70%) it means your site is providing a negative impression. It is the same if you have a low engagement rate (like below 50%) and you will need to investigate.

Build trust or break trust with your potential customers

Your website visitors will subconsciously make judgements about your business based on the quality of your website’s ease of use, branding, content and layout design.

A poorly designed website can raise doubts about a business’s legitimacy and discourage potential customers from doing business with you.

A website that is broken, hacked or infected with malware is a really good way to scare off customers and damage your business’s reputation.

This doesn’t mean they’ll never engage you for a service, but if they do the process will take longer and they may contact one of your competitors before you can get them to work with you.

A clean, intuitive and professional website that guides visitors toward the information they need will go a long way to establishing credibility and trust in your business.

How to build trust with website content

Provide clear, factual and helpful content that has been written for humans.

Continuously creating informative content that is free of industry jargon is crucial for building authority and gaining trust.

Your site content should address the needs of your customers and reflect your expertise by being informative, valuable and without unnecessary fluff.

Social proof also helps with building trust and authority. This includes elements like:

• Welcome videos or explainer videos;
• Image galleries of your recent work;
• Reviews from reputable sources such as your Google Business Profile (GBP), Facebook, or Product Review;
• Relevant blog articles demonstrating your knowledge and expertise.
• Logos of other companies you’ve worked with previously or the logos of your associates/suppliers.
• Graphics of industry awards you may have won in the past.

Implementing some of these elements into a professional website will reassure visitors that your business is legitimate and worthy of gaining their trust.

If you have a diverse range of quality content on your web pages it will also have a positive impact on your site’s On-Page SEO signals.

Allow you to stand out from your competition or blend into the noise

The quality of your website determines whether your business will be enticing for your audience or look the same as (or be worse) than your competitors.

When your potential customers are in research mode, they will compare your website with other competing businesses before deciding who they should contact.

Bad website = blending into the noise

Your website content, functionality and visual design need to be of similar or higher quality when compared to rival businesses in your industry.

It’s the only way for your business to remain competitive online in your location and industry.

When a company has an outdated or low-quality website, it will generally be outperformed by its competitors.

This results in an ongoing loss of new leads, missed opportunities and inadvertently pushing customers toward your direct competitors.

Results of a stand-out business website

By investing in a professional website with high-quality content, a business can set itself apart from the rest of the market and:

• Improve lead generation, sales and revenue generated through the website;
• Gain more meaningful & relevant website traffic;
• Improve online visibility in search engine results pages (SERPS);
• Heighten customer satisfaction;
• Create brand awareness;
• Build your reputation, authority and trust;

Businesses who choose to invest in their website will appear more desirable to their target market.

When compared side-by-side to rival businesses that do not prioritise their site, the decision of who to choose will become even more obvious to the buyer.

Give you the opportunity to save money, reduce churn and grow revenue

Improving the user experience with professional web design can lead to increased customer retention and improve the lifetime value of each customer.

You’ll also save money on customer acquisition costs by not having to spend as much on your digital marketing approach/advertising to attract new leads and sales.

How to improve user experience on a business website

There are several ways to create positive user experiences and grow customer retention on a website. For example:

• Ensure the website is easy to navigate, straightforward to use and designed for conversion.
• Optimise page loading times so the site loads quickly and is mobile-friendly.
• Provide clear and valuable information about your products and/or services.
• Offer a secure user experience with SSL encryption.
• Use content marketing, free resources and helpful articles to delight your visitors. You’ll also be able to build an email database for future marketing opportunities.
• Sending helpful and relevant email marketing messages to your existing clients and growing list of prospects.
• Design for conversion – Doing conversion rate optimisation (CRO) coupled with A/B testing to maximise the likelihood of converting prospects into a clients.

The benefits of continuous improvement of the user experience (UX) & user interface (UI)

A streamlined user experience can save your business money on marketing and advertising efforts, as well as grow your customer retention rates and increase revenue.

Giving your visitors a better experience will:

• Increase your visibility in search engine results (SEO);
• Improve website search rankings;
• Decrease spending on pay-per-click advertising such as Google Ads, Meta ads or LinkedIn advertising.
• Get leads, increase sales, gain new business opportunities & grow the business;
• Develop and grow brand recognition amongst your target market;
• Improve business efficiency with automation;
• Reach a larger segment of your target market or obtain higher-value customers;
• Create more engaged website visitors.

Your business website serves as the hub for all your digital marketing activities, tying all the parts of your digital strategy together in one place.

You should seriously consider continuously investing in your site if you don’t already because web design is important for businesses.

Conclusion

Web design plays a crucial role in the success of every business.

A well-designed website not only attracts potential clients but also engages and converts them into customers. It creates a positive first impression and establishes credibility, which are important factors in building trust and long-term relationships with customers.

Therefore, investing in professional web design is not just an expense, but a smart investment that can bring significant return on investment (ROI) for years to come.

As the competition in the online marketplace continues to grow, businesses that prioritize their digital presence will have a distinct advantage over their competitors.

So, if you want to stay ahead of the game and stand out in the crowded online marketplace, make sure your website is designed to:

• Use responsive website design practices so it looks great on all device sizes between mobile phones up to wide-screen desktop computers.
• Utilise simple web design practices with your business goals in mind;
• Look professional using conventional design layouts & follow common user interface and user experience design practices.
• Load quickly with a small page size if possible.
• Attract your target market (ideal customer) by showing empathy and demonstrating your authority.
• Provide real value with genuine, well-written content, engaging images and video.
• Convert visitors to customers with strong calls to action.
• Make use of best-practice SEO tactics (including Local SEO) to be an SEO-optimized website.

Fast FAQs

Need a Web Designer who can help your business win?

My name is Michael Sherry, I’m an Australian SEO consultant & business web designer on the Gold Coast QLD, Australia.

If you’d like to work with me, please call +61 431 739 060 or submit a contact form.

Until next time, thanks again for tuning in.