Websites. Everyone uses them. Their importance continues to grow with the invention of newer technologies, add-ons, and devices. However, apart from checking off the box of “having a website”, the young entrepreneur must ask themselves, “Is my website designed well?”
Surprisingly, many businesses neglect this question, and publish a website for their users to see that is not very functional. Below are some benefits are having a well-designed website.
1. Websites are an impression. Many times, a customer’s first impression of your product/service is solely based off of what they can glance off of the homepage of your website in about 5-10 seconds. If this page is not inviting, looks cluttered, and doesn’t clearly convey what the site is about, then that customer will navigate off of your webpage. End of story. Go for a minimalist look on the homepage that invites the user to navigate your site by embedding links to various other pages.
2. Analytics. Today, many website platforms have built in analytics tools to tell you how many views your site is getting. Often times, these tools can be pretty in depth and are incredibly valuable to someone running a site. Having a site that has this tool can directly pinpoint where prospective customers are spending the most time on the site, and what page(s) they leave. Knowing how to analyze site analytics can help grow your site and increase overall traffic.
3. User Experience. Have you ever went on to a webpage that just feels good? It’s almost inexplicable. The pages are nice, everything is where it should be, and navigation is smooth. How often do you go back to that website, or how likely are you to recommend that website to a friend? Having a website designed with the user in mind is a reflection on the organization itself, and it is certainly the right impression you would want to make.
There are many benefits to having a well-designed website, and these are just a few items to help make your internet startup successful. Constantly ask, “What would the customer want?” in order to discern what should go in to making your website.
I agree completely and definitely see a lack of good website design in multiple companies websites. The introduction of google analytics has also made market research much easier for a lot eCommerce businesses. Analytic s can help tell the company what’s working and what isn’t. Last semester in my eCommerce class we learned the hard way on how having a poorly designed website can lead to less user engagement and lack of conversions. Doing a lot of AB testing can help and will lead a company to figuring out what actually works over what they believe will work.
This was a good read. Having a well-designed website is essential in today’s day and age. There are so many helpful tools and tutorials out there that companies can utilize to make the perfect site.
You hit all of the key points with this article. In todays modern age, websites need to be search engine and mobile optimized, must create a great impression in less than a second and need to be able to help you activate potential customers.
Yes, yes, yes! I cannot begin to describe how many times I (as the consumer) have visited a certain website that was not aesthetically pleasing or easy to use. Website design is so vital in order to help a startup thrive. And, even if a company or startup is gaining traction off of their website, the director of analytics and the web designer should constantly be refining the website to invoke user-friendliness and updated characteristics. A good website that can make a consumer feel at home is likely to become popular.