What is web design?
Web design encompasses many different skills and disciplines in the production and maintenance of websites. The different areas of web design include:
- web graphic design;
- interface design;
- authoring, including standardized code and proprietary software;
- user experience design; and
- search engine optimization.
Often many individuals will work in teams covering different aspects of the design process, although some designers will cover them all. For instance, the term web design is normally used to describe the design process relating to the front-end design of a website including writing markup. Web design partially overlaps web engineering in the broader scope of web development. Web designers are expected to have an awareness of usability and if their role involves creating markup then they are also expected to be up to date with web accessibility guidelines.
BENEFIT OF A WEB DESIGN FOR A BUSINESS
In the modern era, people are on the internet for information and to find things out. Why do you think people visit a website? It’s primarily to find out information. As a result, if you’re in the business world, information is critical. A website is a must thing for your clients and customers. It needs to contain information about what you can do for them and how you can do it.
Although it can cost you a substantial amount of money, INVESTING IN A WEBSITE DESIGN can generate an outstanding profit for your business. To ensure that your investment works according to your advantage, you must hire an efficient website designer who can deal with the following key points in designing a website:
1. Navigation
This is essential especially when your website has many pages. It basically includes a well-labelled navigation bar or a menu that shows a list of the different web pages. When the website navigation is developed well, users can easily explore and understand your website. It doesn’t need to have a state of the art typefaces. Settle for simple yet intuitive navigation that can make visitors come back for more.
2. Content and Visual Elements
These also include the choice of font and other typographic details. Such aspects of web design should go along together to deliver an accurate message to the audience. In most cases, readers tend to remember the message when it is concise and something that the readers can identify with.
However, overdoing these elements won’t bring any good to your website, Web pages with too much content will look messy and can affect conversion rates. How? Visually clutter pages may be difficult to read, resulting in disinterest in visitors and making them not wanting to come back.
To avoid that from happening, it is best to streamline the content wherein website designers can easily incorporate the text in their design. Moreover, designers can add negative or empty spaces that let the readers’ eyes rest in the middle of their reading.
3. Brand Uniformity
Your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors, and it is usually identified through a logo. If your business/company has a unique logo that is placed on all print materials, then all the logo’s elements must be integrated into the website design for the sake of consistency.
It is very important for your target market to recognize your business brand in all types of medium. If for instance, there are slight changes in your brand and visual communication, then it can result in confusion among your customers and make them feel that there is something wrong with your business.
4. Engagement
Web pages should have an exceptional layout so that they can appear more appealing to the users and make them want to engage with your page. It needs to feed people’s eyes because the truth is; this is where every engagement will begin. For this, the need for website design and development is an indispensable factor that should be measured carefully by every website owner.
5. Organization and Search Engine Optimization
Just like how we read a book, it is comfortable to read a web page from left to right, top to bottom. Virtuosi in web designing use the same reading pattern when they’re designing a website. Because most people read starting from the upper left area, designers put the most important information there. It increases the chances of relaying your message to the visitors who can become your customers.
Aside from the organization, utilizing the visible areas for the important website details can also improve the search engine optimization or SEO. This happens when you incorporate business-related keywords in the HTML text. When search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing can crawl into your website, it results in higher search engine placement, which means your website becomes more visible and searchable.
ADVANTAGES OF A GOOD WEBSITE
Today the front of your website is essentially your storefront. Whenever meeting a new person or client, you always worry about making the best first impression. So why should your website be any different? Your website should be an immediate reflection of you and your personality and your business. An unprofessional website could lead to visitors not feeling welcome or that your business is outdated. this will see them looking elsewhere for the services that you could have provided.
- HIGHER SEARCH ENGINE RANKING: One of the big terms in online marketing these days is “SEO”. SEO or Search Engine Optimal is basically the optimization of your website in order to provide a higher ranking among today’s search engines. When people are searching for a specific business or service to suit their needs, they are searching for key terms within these search engines. Statistically, these users will visit the first or second business, that is generated by their search. if your site is outdated it does not contain the specific content necessary to be picked up and indexed by these search engines. So instead of being on the first page of visiting you might be lost on page 5 or 6 and never seen by the user searching having a high standing search engine raking is one of the best methods today to gain new clientele.
Challenge Your Competition
Having a professional website allows you to be on top of your industry and challenge your competition to keep up. Continually working and adding to your website forces your competition to always remain one step behind. Where your competition is only just beginning to realize the benefits of having a professional website. You are already established and continually trying to maintain your online presence and stay at the top of your market.
A professionally designed website will attract more attention and generate more traffic to your website. Humans by nature are drawn to attractive things and this is no different in the world of design. Therefore, it is important to employ a professional design firm in order to maximize the potential of your website design and effectiveness.
- Extended Word of Mouth
How often have you enjoyed a great website design for a restaurant or other business? More than likely you have shared that business name or website with friends & family, simply because of the effect the website had on you. Great design paired with intuitive site navigation leads to a great experience for the end-user. This word of mouth leads to more traffic and potential clients simply based on your well-designed website.
- Greater & Quick Access
Internet access is available on almost every mobile device or tablet these days. Having a quick and easy way for customers to find your phone number, address or contact you by email is a huge benefit. They can easily find out what you do, what you have done previously and what you can offer them. You don’t have to say a lot in order to get people’s attention. Sometimes you can just let the design speak for you.
NOTE:
A professionally designed website can help you and your business. The value in spending money on a professional website should be a long-term investment for your business. There are only great advantages ahead.
