As we speed through the digital age, it’s becoming increasingly uncommon for serious business endeavors to be without a website. Unfortunately, many business owners still fall into the trap of thinking that their web design is an isolated part of their marketing strategy when in fact it can be one of their greatest resources. Having quality web design is an important part of the online marketing process.
A quality web design has more than just aesthetic functions and ignoring this potential could be setting your business endeavors back in more ways than one. From traffic and SEO to branding and conversion rates, your web design affects the shape and scope of your business’s web presence.
The Importance of Quality Web Design
One research study sought to determine which design elements and content factors influence users’ perception of a site’s credibility and trustworthiness. Although the study focused on websites in the health industry, researchers posited that the core findings were applicable across a variety of industries.
Solid web design trumps quality content
Perhaps ones of the most surprising conclusions of the study was that web design elements were exponentially more impactful than content, regarding generating mistrust. A stunning 94% of respondents described web design elements when asked to explain why they distrusted a website while only 6 percent referred to specific content.
Web design elements people don’t trust
- Busy or complex layouts
- Pop-up advertisements and flamboyant ads
- Small print that’s hard to read
- Boring web design/lack of color
- Slow website intros and load times
Content is still essential
Although a modern, responsive web design is important, content is still vital when it comes to establishing trust. In the same study, participants were also asked to give their reasons for why they trusted certain websites; interestingly, content played a role for 83 percent of respondents.
The results of the study indicated that audiences like sites that are informative, relevant, refreshing, concise, and unbiased. When it came to cornerstone content, participants enjoyed when sites not only gave age-specific information but also provided answers to frequently asked questions on at least one landing page.
Both web design and content aren’t just incredibly important; they go hand-in-hand. Without quality and modern web design elements, your audience won’t stay on your website long enough to read the content you’ve created. Similarly, without informative, keyword rich content, not only will you lose rank in SEO searches, but your audience will also lose trust in your brand.
Connect with Web Developers Who Get Your Business’s Needs
For your business to achieve online visibility, you must look at your web design through the lens of your entire operation, or it will fall short. Our team of experienced WordPress web designers create modern, need-specific websites for business and brands—connect with us today!
