Web Design Is More Than Just Aesthetics, It's About Brand Strategy
Websites that put their customers' stories above their own are more likely to succeed.
There are many approaches to designing a website. Some designs look visually stunning but lack content, while others are more functional but can overwhelm visitors with too many details.
A well-designed website provides the right amount of helpful, easy-to-find information about products and services displayed in a clean, familiar layout and explains how to make purchases.
Visitors Can Access Websites Anytime and From Anywhere. That's a Big Advantage
A website is one of several communication channels businesses can use to connect with customers. Other options include email newsletter campaigns, social media posts, yard signs, printed mailers, and thank-you cards.
One significant advantage of a website over many other communication channels is that customers can access a website anytime and from anywhere.
Unlike mass emails that clutter their inboxes and are sent based on someone else's schedule, customers have control over when and where they want to learn more about the products and services of a company.
Small business owners who want an aesthetically pleasing, highly converting website should consider these three steps.
Step 1: Develop a Brand Strategy
Before creating content or working on a website layout, define your brand and identify your ideal customers.
Once you clearly understand your brand, develop a marketing plan that communicates your brand's purpose, values, promise, personality, vision, and mission to your ideal customers. This marketing plan is often referred to as a business's brand strategy.
Step 2: Put Your Customers' Stories Above Your Own
The primary goal of visitors is to learn how the products and services a company offers on its website can improve their lives.
Websites that put their customers' stories above their own are more likely to succeed, while those that expect customers to conform to corporate objectives and support corporate narratives are less likely to thrive.
For a website to convert visitors into paying customers, companies must answer three fundamental questions:
What do your ideal customers want?
What problems are you helping to solve?
What improvements will your customers experience after using your products and services?
Step 3: Make Your Customers Feel Secure
Studies have shown that humans prefer familiarity and predictability, as both reduce stress and anxiety.
The same psychology applies to website design. Websites with an unusual layout or a unique checkout process have a significantly lower conversion rate (less than half) than those with a clean, uncluttered, familiar flow.
Familiarity makes visitors feel secure because they already know the steps to complete a purchase. Often, they may have made a small test purchase from that company before or shopped at a similar online store, like those using Shopify.
Website Layout and Content Follow Your Brand Strategy
Many business owners struggle with creating website content that resonates with their ideal customers, frequently letting AI write it for them.
This convenient shortcut can lead to website content that may not represent their brand.
The same applies to overly artistic website layouts that sometimes seem misaligned with a brand's identity.
Basing your website layout and content on your brand strategy is an effective approach to ensure that your website converts visitors into loyal customers.
A Website Needs to be More Than Just Look Great: A simple, uncluttered, and functional website that feels familiar and renders correctly on any device, appears in search results, and offers lots of relevant information will attract more visitors in the long run.
Why You Shouldn’t Let AI Write Your Content: Whether AI-generated content serves as a starting point for your writing or you publish it unedited on your website, the long-term economic damage from losing your brand voice and weakening your brand could be much higher than the time you save.
How to Find Your Business’s X-Factor: Your business's X-Factor can help you gain a durable competitive advantage, leading to faster growth and higher profits.
Sell More If Your Messages Are Clear: Knowing your specific niche, ideal customers, and why customers buy from you is crucial for clarifying your marketing messages.
How Fear of the Unknown Can Reduce Your Conversion Rate and What You Can Do About It: In eCommerce, familiarity rather than creativity is the best approach to alleviate the fear of the unknown and, ultimately, increase your store's conversion rate.
Focus on Your Target Customers When Designing a Website: Present your brand coherently across multiple channels while appealing to your target customers through the same look and feel on social media, in print media, or on your website.
