In the modern world, your website is more than your calling card—it’s often your customer’s first brand interaction. In this guide, our web design experts are uncovering the importance of web design and publishing in making a strong impression on your audience.
For everything from bringing in leads to building customer relationships and educating users about your products, your website carries a heavy burden to perform well—who else can do the work of a salesperson, a storefront, and a customer support agent simultaneously?
Why is website design important?
You get less than ten seconds to make a first impression that counts by impressing the user and building interest. If your website doesn’t stack up, you leave relationships, leads, and conversions behind.
Our design experts are laying out why a website is important for business, the importance of web design in digital marketing strategy, and the advantages of web design to help you make the best first impressions. Read on to learn more.
The Importance of the First Impression
You don’t get much time to wow people with your site, but how long does it take to make a first impression on a website?
According to Forbes, people take only 50 milliseconds, or 0.05 seconds, to form their opinion of your website.
And for better or worse, once that first impression forms, it’s incredibly difficult to change people’s minds. If they like you, that’s good news, but if they aren’t impressed, you’ll face an uphill battle to prove your worth to them.
Considering the old 7-second rule to make a good impression in person, you’re working on a much smaller, tighter timeframe, which raises the stakes significantly. A great website and especially well-designed landing pages cannot be ignored—it’s no wonder why web design is important for business.
A Solid Visual Appeal
There’s no question that your site should be functional, but the bar is set high these days for websites, and you shouldn’t have to sacrifice form for function—you must design for both.
What are the purposes of a good web page design?
We’re visual creatures who connect to brands through imagery. Images and aesthetics set a tone and evoke emotions that create an engaging, memorable experience.
Your site should have:
- High-Quality Imagery. Tasteful stock photos can work, but investing in professional photography and graphic design is even better.
- Impressive Colour Palette. Whether bold, muted, high-contrast, or low, your colour palette should be designed around your brand tone and the emotions and mood you’re trying to create.
- A Layout That Flows Visually. Your layout should be clear, concise, and intuitive, using white space to guide the eye and create the right mood.
Why is website layout important?
Your layout determines how easily people can navigate your site and enjoy the experience. Clean designs matter, but you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment and show off your brand personality through cutting-edge visuals and outside-the-box ideas.
A UX That Delivers
User experience, or UX, should be prioritized at every step in the design process. If you’re designing based on what you like rather than looking at how each element impacts the overall user experience on your website, you’ll often push people away before they’ve really had a chance to dig into your content.
Design with:
- Intuitive Navigation. Your menu should be clearly labelled, easy to click, and immediately understandable. If people have to wonder where to go to find what they want, they’re more likely to leave before they get there. Use thoughtful categories, sub-categories, search functions, sitemaps, and more to help point people in the right direction.
- Mobile-First Standards. Most users are surfing online on their mobile devices, so your website must look and function flawlessly on all devices, especially small screens.
- Fast Loading Speeds. Every single page on your website should load in under 2 seconds—people simply aren’t willing to wait any longer, and Google will penalize you in their search rankings.
What is the main purpose of a web designer?
A web designer has the expertise to build out a website with a solid UX and stunning visuals. They can build a map of the typical user journey on your site to spot trouble areas, anticipate needs, and iterate a better UX over time. A professional designer can also help you A/B test different layouts, CTAs, and navigation to see which lands best with your audience.
Content That Connects to Users
While your website doesn’t need to be chock full of 100+ pages of content to make a good impression, it’s quality over quantity when it comes to impressions. One great page will outweigh 20 sub-standard ones, so take content seriously—if you’re not a professional writer or marketer, hire one!
Your website’s content builds your brand voice, helping you tell your story, showcase your expertise, and ultimately connect with your community in a genuine way.
Your content should have:
- Compelling Copy. The writing should be clear, concise, and thoughtfully written to engage with your audience.
- Valuable information. Your content can’t just sound good—it must all be useful, relevant, and, according to Google’s SEO standards, “helpful.” Your website is ranked for helpfulness on the whole, so any pages that aren’t helpful must be improved or removed.
- Strong Call-to-Action. Your CTA should guide visitors towards the desired action you want them to take, so word and label them clearly.
Build out a content strategy and stay at least 3 months ahead so you can plan and schedule the work accordingly—the importance of digital marketing can’t be overstated. Switch up content formats and watch your performance metrics to see what resonates most with your audience.
EB Media—Web Design Agency Hamilton
Your website is ultimately your digital storefront, so you must create a stunning, user-friendly website that not only captivates visitors but also drives conversions.
At EB Media, our team can build a website that’s functional, beautiful, and the perfect branding fit. We understand that first impressions matter, and we’re dedicated to helping businesses in Hamilton and beyond make a lasting impact in the digital world.
If you’re ready for a free quote or want to discuss your next project, contact us today.
