When it comes to website design, there is a big difference between ‘best in class’ websites and just any other custom websites that companies come up with. Yes, you can always go for the inexpensive solution, but make sure that doesn’t damage the image of your brand. Brand damage occurs when your website fails to create value, credibility and trust with customers while instead giving them the impression that you are unable to provide them with a real solution. Brand equity, on the other hand, is basically the complete opposite of brand damage.
Sometimes outsourcing your website design will result in the third party not giving enough attention to the critical parts of the process. You need a team of reputed experts to provide you with the right direction and strategies; if not, your site will fail. Moreover, there is a fundamental structure and a guideline that websites must comply with if they want to be effective. Furthermore, website designers should keep in mind that a customer will spend only about 5 to 10 seconds at the most to look at your site and decide whether they trust you enough to invest further in your site. In addition to visibility, content management is also crucial. For you to have a best in class website, you need a best in class copywriter. Someone who understands your business and who has great experience in writing will be suitable.
Best in class website design is not just about getting the job done; it is about getting the job done right. The ‘visual hit’ of a website is what gives a potential customer his first impression of your company. This judgment made by humans is within their subconscious and they are unaware of the fact that they judge websites based on how they ‘look and feel’. When designing websites, make sure you include only what customers expect to see. Also, make the site look credible, trustworthy, and interesting enough to have customers lingering around for longer. Use a simple and clear navigation scheme during website design. The site should use standard usability principles and the information should be organized in an easy-to-understand method. Include fresh and informational content on your site. Don’t overbear readers with unnecessary details. Be clear, simple, web friendly and up-to-date in your content writing. If you do need to post large amounts of information, use an overview and summary so that those who do not want to read the entire page can just read the summary and get a gist of the content. Furthermore, if you want more results for your company, make sure your website has clear contact information, proper actions that users can perform, and possible multiple contact information in case the primary is not in working condition. Finally, the quality of traffic that goes through your website is another element that completes the goal of a best-in-class website design. For high quality traffic, market your site online, establish an effective link building campaign and make sure you site ranks well in search engines and is search engine friendly.
Adam Chronister is co-founder of Enleaf, an award winning Web Design and Internet Marketing Firm. You can find him on Facebook Facebook and Twitter.