Website Design
Looking for a website that works?
If you're serious about growing your business you need a strong web presence with a good digital marketing strategy. Whereas in the past you may have reached for the Yellow Pages when you needed a product or service, now you reach for the phone (or computer) and do a Google search. After all, how did you find yourself here?
The starting point of a strong web presence is a professional website. But what should a professional website have?
What should your web design include?
To most people, good website design is something that looks great and is easy to use; but there is a lot more to good web design. Some of the other factors you should consider are:
- Is it a responsive website design? Does it look great and work well on a desktop computer and a smartphone; not to mention all screen sizes in between?
- Does it have an SSL certificate? Is the website address secured as an HTTPS instead of the normal HTTP? Does the web browser show the secured padlock in the address bar?
- Does the website design load fast? Does your web design load quicker than 2-3 seconds?
- Does your website have a CMS (Content Management System) allowing you to easily make changes to your website?
- Is your website structured for search engine optimisation? Is it structured in a way that makes it easy for Google to understand what your website is about and how to rank it?
- Does your website design provide a good User Experience (UX)? Can a website visitor easily navigate the web design and find what they are looking for?
- Do you have clear "Call to Actions" on your website? Marketing 101 is "tell the prospect what you want them to do"; does your website design do this?
- "Content is King"; does your website design and structure allow you to add new content regularly?
Now we can probably add a few more considerations here, but you get the idea. Don't just go for a web design that looks great; not if you want it to actually bring customers into your business. Unfortunately, most business websites are just that (and in some cases don't even look great), failing to add anything of value to the business.
Remember marketing should be treated as an Investment, not a cost. You invest your money on a website and in return expect it to deliver customers to your business. This is your "Return on Investment" (ROI), and like all investments, often you need to invest more to get more.
Is a great website design all you need?
In a word, NO. Let's consider how a website works as a marketing tool by comparing it to a traditional marketing tool; the flyer.
A website is the same as a flyer. It doesn't matter how great it looks if no-one sees it.
In other words, there is no point in having a great-looking flyer if you only display it on your business premises to people who already know you. You need to look at ways to get your flyer in front of new people who've never heard of you before. This might be through letterbox drops, trade shows, displaying them in related businesses or maybe even advertising a version of it in a newspaper or magazine.
Well, a website is exactly the same. There is no point in having a great looking web design if all you do is publish it on the internet and then expect people to somehow find it. The harsh reality is the only people who will find it are those that already know you and know your website address.
So how do you get new people to see your website design?
There are essentially 2 ways to get people to see your website:
- Attract visitors to your website - this is achieved through Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Marketing (Adwords), where you increase the chances of people finding your site when they do a search.
- Send visitors to your website - this is achieved through strategies such as Display Advertising, Social Media Marketing, Referrals (Online Directories, other website referrals etc) and offline advertising campaigns promoting your website (Radio, TV Ads, Brochures, Signage etc).
Why use Probity Web Marketing for your website design?
- We start by fully understanding your business needs and issues.
- We help you decide what your goals will be and what information you need to display.
- We discuss the various functionalities that can assist in delivering this and help you decide on which ones you want.
- We build your website using stable, secure and powerful website platforms.
- We communicate in everyday language so you fully understand what we are doing.
- We're not just Web Designers, so understand what makes a website design successful at attracting people to your business.
- Most importantly, we can provide you with website design as part of an overall Web Marketing Plan to get the most out of the internet for your business.
Need to know more about web design?
We have tried our best to include as much information as possible on our website, so have a look around. Or better still, why not get in contact with us to discuss your business and its' needs.
