Why your website’s design matters
What your website looks like makes a big impact on your business, and yet a lot of businesses fail to invest in a good-looking design.
They think they don’t have the money to spend on something “extra”. They do it themselves, or hire as cheap a designer as possible.
Surprisingly, when you know that your website design is the first thing your customers notice and judge.
Get it wrong, and your potential clients will go somewhere else.
Good website design builds trust
A website’s visual design is one of the most important factors in building people’s trust, according to a study of almost 3,000 internet users conducted by Stanford University and ConsumerWebWatch.
That’s right. A “professional, polished” website matters more than good content or your business reputation. Or any of those icons proclaiming your business’s credentials.
In the study, 2,684 participants were asked to rank pairs of similar websites as more or less credible and then explain their criteria.
The #1 criterion they used? The overall visual design of a site, including:
- color scheme
- layout
- typography
- fonts
Amateur design, amateur image
Imagine you’re in the market for a feng shui consultant. You visit the websites of these two: which one would you hire?
Which looks more professional?
The bright red feng shui website at top looks amateurish, uses very bright, hard-to-read colours, and navigation on the right that makes it just that bit harder to get around the site.
The white and green site, while having WAY too much text, at least presents an image of professionalism with its quality photo of bamboo at top, testimonials in red on the right and more sophisticated layout.
The bright red website really lets its consultant down by appearing as if the next door neighbour’s 12-year-old made it. And that’s never a good message to send about your business.
Why design is so important?
Design may seem superficial, but what your website looks like tells your customer instantly what your business is like.
As the researchers explained, “looking good is often interpreted as being good—and being credible.” A lot of social psychology research shows that physically attractive sources (usually people) are seen as credible sources.
Another reason is that your website is trying to grab people with notoriously short attention spans. Far easier for them to make a snap judgment based on design than taking the time to read through your content.
So your website’s design gives people an instant snapshot of who you are and what you do.
What message are you sending with your website design?
Flashy, trendy colors and layout? Flashy, trendy company. Conservative, restrained design? Conservative business.
Either people connect with what you’re about, or move on. As the study confirmed, if a website fails to meet people’s standards for good design, they abandon the site and go elsewhere.
In your case, right to your competitors.
And by the way, I went through well over 200 feng shui websites before I found one that had a remotely decent design. If you’re a consultant, get yourself an attractive, professional website — you’ll corner the market.
What you can do next:
Find out how Do Good can help your business look great >>
