Today’s shopper conducts much of their business online, and if they’re not shopping online, they’re searching for reviews and product information online using popular search engines such as Google. However, while the world of the internet is undoubtedly popular, and holds a lot of sway when it comes to encouraging and enabling customers to buy online, it’s extremely competitive.

One way that businesses of all sizes can get ahead of their competitors (and ideally, remain there), is by investing in the usability and design of their website. Whether you tackle it yourself (and this is really only recommended if you are experienced at designing websites), or hire a professional company, having an effectively designed website could be the difference between profit and popularity, or losses and failure.

Here are 4 reasons why web design matters to your business:

1. Think of your website as your virtual store

While not made of bricks and mortar, your website is as good as a physical store, and serves exactly the same purpose: showcasing your brand, product and ideas. With a professionally designed website, you’ll give online shoppers a reason to browse what you have on offer, and ideally, make a purchase or share your site with others.

2. Your website represents your brand

Portraying your brand and its identity in a positive light is what a well-designed website will do, and you have the ideal opportunity to be creative and bold not just with your homepage, but the whole site; drawing shoppers in and tempting them to explore further. Statistics show that as many as 70% of users will leave a site that doesn’t immediately catch their eye, so it’s imperative that you work with professional web designers to get a site that delivers from every angle.

3. A strong web design can boost SEO

Search engine optimization is a basic but essential element of any business’s success, but without an eye-catching web design, Google and other search engines may simply pass you by. With an optimized website however, Google is far more likely to notice you, and so are your potential customers.

4. Big is beautiful

It’s simply the way of the world today, that anything online which isn’t aesthetically pleasing, isn’t popular, and so the more attractive your website is to users, the more likely you are to attract and retain them.

It’s also important to note that the entire world is online today, and huge swathes of the population have access to the internet for learning, having fun and shopping. If you’re not online – and with a strong virtual presence – you could be missing out on a whole lot of profit.

Digital marketing methods are important, yes, but what good are they if you can’t even retain the users directed to your site by your marketing campaign? With a poorly designed site, users will simply take their potential business elsewhere, and trust me, they’ll click right across to your competitor’s site if they’ve got a more engaging web design than yours!

To be the best, you need to hire the best, and many businesses seeking to make their mark in the online world, seek the help of professional web designers to help them get a site that doesn’t just look good, but has real depth, too.

At One Way Digital Marketing, we’ll use proven methods to give you a website that showcases your business and attracts customers who want to explore your brand, and make purchases. With our 100% customized and highly engaging designs for small to medium sized businesses, we won’t just give you customers, we’ll give you queues of customers! Apart from Website Design, we offer SEO, and all Digital Marketing services.