Business owners sometimes question the merits of a professionally designed website, but having a site built properly, by a professional, is unquestionably one of the best marketing tools available to you.
Few things are as frustrating as spending money on something that doesn’t work. When that something is your website, it can be lethal for your business growth.
Nowadays, there are hundreds of sites offering you the tools to build your own website. For some businesses, it seems an obvious choice – cheap and quick to get something online that people can see.
But is it the best use of your time and money to learn these tools to make something average… particularly when your competitors may have invested in a professionally built website?
1 – Professional website design builds credibility
First impressions count, as the saying goes. The simple fact is people shop with their eyes first, and if you have a second-rate looking website, guess what? People will view your business as second-rate.
Imagine walking down the street, looking for a sweet shop. You find two next door to each other – one looks like it has seen better days, with dirty windows and letters missing from it’s sign. Inside it has poor lighting and a badly designed layout.
The one next door is bright and welcoming with clear signage and well laid out displays. I think you get how this story ends…
Done properly, a professionally designed website can actually make you money. How? By allowing you to increase your prices.
That may sound ridiculous, but it’s all down to one simple thing: customer confidence. The very same reason you would choose to enter the well designed sweet shop and would be unsurprised, even reassured, if the sweets cost more than next door.
Having a web designer build your site gives you the following benefits:
- Saves you time: You don’t waste your time doing something that doesn’t achieve your aims
- Inspires consumer confidence: Visitors to your site are reassured they are dealing with a professional business, which in turn generates…
- Increased sales conversions: When people feel confident about your brand, they are far more likely to spend their money with you
A good web designer would take the time to understand your brand. They would then work with you through an iterative design process until you get a design that looks stunning and ultimately drives traffic to your website.
2 – Expert web development improves customer experience
Did you know?
- 1 in 4 visitors would abandon a website that takes more than 4 seconds to load
- 46% of users don’t revist poorly performing websites
- 64% of shoppers who are dissatisfied with their visit will shop elsewhere next time
- 1 second delay reduces customer satisfaction by 16%
(Sources: LoadStorm, Econsultancy)
Site speed is just one example of how a web development expert can improve customer experience. It is a key one though, as Google takes site speed into consideration when it ranks your site in it’s search engine results.
As well as building you a fast site, a web developer will advise you on the best platform for your site. This will depend on what your site actually does: Do you need an eCommerce store? Do you need a blog? Some web developers specialise in certain systems like WordPress, Drupal or Shopify. Others are experts in several, or when needed, can code bespoke applications. Important results a web developer should provide include:
- Site speed: as mentioned above, this is crucial for your search engine rankings
- Mobile friendly: 56% of people now access website on mobile devices rather than desktops (source:gs.statcounter.com), so again, you’ll be lower in the rankings if you do not have a mobile friendly website
- Custom functionality: Not all websites are the same, perhaps yours needs to integrate with a back-office system or an external database? A professional web developer will have the skills to do this
A good developer is a key element to a successful website, able to build out the design to a high specification using the latest industry standards.
3 – SEO grows your customer base
Where is everybody? It’s all very well having an amazing looking, fast website, but if people don’t know it’s there, how will they find you? The answer lies in the all important SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Some see SEO as a bit of a dark art. It’s actually not that mysterious (apart from the closely guarded secrets of the Google search algorithm). However, it does take a professional who knows what appeals to the search engines in order to rank highly.
For a start, there are several types of SEO, each needing to be dealt with in order to boost your website’s visibility. These include:
- Technical SEO: This is the work done behind the scenes to the code of the website, it makes sure that your site is easily crawlable by the search bots
- On-page SEO: This is about making sure you are using the correct keywords in the appropriate places, so that things such as the page title and the headings within the page are optimised
- Off-page SEO: As well as the site itself, it’s important to get as many top-quality sites to link to yours. Known as backlinks, this is a crucial part of off-page SEO. Other elements include promotion through social media and forums
Search Engine Optimisation should start with auditing and research, together with analytics, to benchmark your initial rankings. That way, you can measure any improvements the SEO work is making to your search engine rankings.
4 – Professional copywriting grows sales
Copywriting for websites is sometimes overlooked by smaller businesses, but it is often the key to converting the curious into the customer.
Writing professional content works hand-in-hand with SEO, using the keywords and phrases from your SEO research. A good copywriter will be able to weave those Google-friendly key phrases into your content. At the same time, creating engaging content using the perfect tone for your brand.
Quality copy should, amongst other things:
- Be sticky: Once visitors land on the page, they should want to stay and continue their customer journey
- Encourage action: Whether it is to convert a visit into a sale or give the visitor something of value to encourage further visits, good content should create a positive response
- Use the correct voice: Getting the tone right requires the writer to spend time understanding your business – it’s as crucial as the design of your website to project the right image
Great content will add value to your site – it will encourage both humans and search engines to rank your site highly.
5 – A professional website gives you full control
Social media platforms are great for letting people know you exist, but what you can do on them is limited – you are boxed into their rules.
As a business, you need to be able to stand out and get noticed. That’s just not possible without the freedom to express your brand.
The optimum approach is to have the best of both worlds – the benefits of a social media presence, with the control of your own website.
If you follow these steps, you will maximise the benefits of both:
- Use your website as the ‘hub’ for all your online activities
- Use the reach of social media to direct people to your website
- Track where people are coming to your site from with analytics
Conclusion
Above all, ensure that on your site, visitors have an exceptional experience. Whether it’s buying your product, subscribing to your newsletter or finding the information they need.
A professionally built website will give you the ability to create the perfect experience for your visitors. This hopefully gives you an idea of how investing in a website will grow your business.