The Importance of a Well-Designed Site

When it comes to having a website, just the act of having one isn’t going to cut it. Everyone nowadays has a site. No, you need one that’s well designed. It needs to look good, be easy to use, and work well. Leaving out one of those 3 things could really have an effect on your brand and business. Like it or not, people like things that look good and that work well. That’s why it’s so important that your site be well designed. Here are 5 reasons why having a well-designed site is an absolute must for business owners.

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Makes a Good First Impression

When people land on your site, they make an instant snap judgement about your brand. There’s no way around it. You do the same thing. Don’t you want that first impression to be a good one? A good impression means visitors like what they see and they’re likely to click around your site, hopefully converting.

But a bad first impression? It won’t quite work that way. People will leave before even giving your content a chance. What you have to offer might be the perfect fit for them, but if they don’t recognize that the moment they land on your site, they’re never going to see it.

Making a good first impression is easy, you just have to put some thought into it. First things first, make sure your site looks cohesive and conveys your brand (more on that later). Use a limited color palette, choose 2-3 fonts max, and use images that all work together. The goal here is to be pleasing to the eye because your site’s visuals are likely what will play a big role in their initial opinion of you.

Successfully Conveys Your Brand

I mentioned visuals in the last section, and while it’s important that your brand look well put together, it’s even more important that they reflect your brand accurately. You can have the most beautifully designed feminine site, but if your brand is marketed towards guys, it doesn’t matter, does it? Think about who your audience is. You want your brand to attract that.

When it comes to your brand though, don’t just think about the visuals. Think about all the other aspects that make up your brand. Is your brand cheeky or witty? Add some playfulness into your site’s copy. On the other hand if your brand is super serious, using a formal tone is probably best.

Your site is oftentimes a person’s first touch point with your brand. They should be able to instantly get a good idea of what your brand is all about. Therefore, it’s important to make every decision with your brand in mind.

Makes Your Site User Friendly

A beautiful, well-branded site means absolutely nothing if it’s a nightmare to navigate. I’ve seen quite a share of beautiful blogs that were slow to load, had a million pop-ups, and were just generally difficult to find stuff on. A nice design will get people in the door, but it won’t get them to stay.

What makes a site user friendly? First, it should be speedy. I don’t have time for your 20+ ads to load. Find a better way to monetize if you’re trying to make a decent income. Secondly, streamline your menu. Every page on your site doesn’t have to be listed in your menu. Link to only the most important ones. And make use of drop downs, but don’t go anymore than 1-2 levels deep. And lastly, use colors and fonts that are easy on the eyes. Tiny fonts look pretty, but they’re a pain to read. As are colors with low contrast. Choose fonts that are simple and large enough and make sure they’re in a darker color. I shouldn’t have to squint to read your blog posts!

Improves Your SEO

Who wants to be on the front page of Google? Don’t we all? Your site should be designed with SEO in mind. Now I’m not going to get into the specifics on creating a theme with SEO in mind, but if you’re in the market for a new theme, look for one that is SEO friendly. Or even better, purchase from a reputable theme creator, like Studiopress.

But a well-designed site goes beyond your theme. When creating blog posts, structure your posts using correct headlines. This means using heading tags properly (i.e. not just to make text larger!). Break your posts up into paragraphs and lists. Just use general best practices for writing and you’ll be on your way to better SEO.

Increases Conversions

Believe it or not, design isn’t just how something looks. It’s how something functions. Your site’s layout plays a big part in its success (or lack thereof). Think about the goals of your site, then plan accordingly. If your goal is to grow your email list, you’ll need to place opt-ins throughout your site so that people can sign up.

Now, it’s not enough to just place opt-ins all willy-nilly. You need to be strategic about it. Think about how someone will be using your site. When they’re done reading a post, what’s their next action? How about opting in? Give them something else to do that benefits you! Your about page is likely one of the most viewed pages on your site. Put it to work with an opt-in! See how this works? Think about where an opt-in makes sense, then add one.

Sidenote: A lot of people love adding opt-ins that popup as soon as someone lands on their site. While they convert quite well, I’m not a fan because I don’t believe they make sense from a user’s standpoint. I just landed on your site, let me get acquainted first, then you can hit me with your offer. It’s the equivalent of a pushy salesperson to me. /rant

Can you see now why having a well-designed site is important? Beyond looking pretty, a well-designed site helps you see results. It helps convert readers and provides site visitors with a positive user experience. A lot of thought goes into a well-designed site, so the next time you’re planning a site redesign, do the following:

• Think about your brand. Who you want to attract and what do you want to convey?
• Think about the user and how they’re going to use your site.
• Think about your goals. How can your site’s design help you accomplish them?

If you’re still having trouble creating a site that’s beautiful and gets results, let me help! I love working with small business owners and bloggers to create sites that work for them (while looking good!). Get in touch to learn more.

About the Author

Allyssa is a web designer from New Jersey who works with small business owners to create an online presence that elevates their brand to premium status.