Does My Business Need a Website?
Recent studies show that 71% of businesses have a website [Source: Forbes]. If you are currently in the 29% that don't, what is holding you back?
This number has and will continue to grow as time goes on, with more businesses using the digital space to their advantage. The short answer is: Yes! Your business should have a website. If not you're missing out on a brilliant opportunity to reach a new crowd of potential clients and customers, meaning allowing your competition to get ahead.
Great web design can transform a business. Whether it's rebranding or simply wanting to get your name out there; carefully considered web design can be the difference between business success and stagnation.
The Importance of Web Design
Having a strong online presence is crucial for any business looking to succeed. Your website is often the first impression a potential customer will get of your company, meaning it's important to get it right. This is where web design comes in.
Web design is the process of creating a visually appealing, user-friendly, and effective website. It's a combination of art and science, where web designers must not only make the site look good, but also ensure that it functions well and is easy to navigate.
A well-designed website can help build trust and credibility with potential customers, increase engagement and conversions, and ultimately drive business growth.
SEO in Web Design
Web design is not just about aesthetics. It's also about ensuring that your website is optimised for search engines.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a collection of tactics used to improve the visibility and ranking of a website in search engine results. The main focus of SEO is targeting efforts towards keywords and search terms that are relevant to your business.
Some keywords are more difficult to rank for due to competition. For example it'd be easier to reach number 1 on Google for 'Professional Cleaning Geelong' over 'Professional Cleaning Victoria' as there is less competition.
SEO in web design is more than just copy though. Technical SEO is a large part of web development, ensuring that page load speeds are fast and all content is optimised for Google to crawl efficiently.
Incorporating SEO best practices into your web design, means you can increase your chances of appearing at the top of search results, which can lead to more traffic and ultimately more business.
Website Functionality
SEO optimised and visually appealing websites can look impressive on the surface. If your competitor is ranking number 1 in Google it's not hard to feel envious.
But another important aspect to consider when designing a website is the user's experience and functionality. Great design can often hinder user experience, leading to slow load times, confusing user journeys and ultimately leading to a poor first impression.
This is also the case for overly optimised websites. Keyword stuffing is a popular black hat SEO method that uses unnatural sounding copy to attempt to get a keyword onto a page a large amount of times in hopes that the page will then rank highly for this keyword.
Again, this can lead to an unpleasant user experience, where the visitor is left with questions and ends up leaving the website to go else where to find a clearer answer.
DIY Web Design or Professional?
When it comes to web design, it's important to work with a professional agency that understands the importance of both aesthetics, functionality and SEO.
A good web design agency will have a strong portfolio of past work, and will work with you to understand your specific needs and goals. They will also be able to provide you with ongoing support and maintenance to ensure that your website continues to perform well and stay up-to-date.
Final Thoughts
Web design is a critical aspect of any business's online presence. A well-designed website can help build trust and credibility, increase engagement and conversions, and drive business growth. By working with a professional web design agency, you can ensure that your website not only looks great, but also performs well in search engine results and makes a lasting impression on your visitors.
If you're looking to take your business to the next level, invest in a unique web design.
