With the proliferation of website templates and do-it-yourself website builders, comes the problem of thousands of websites that look the same. Why is that a problem? Because today’s marketplace is more crowded than ever. How do you stand out? How will your business catch the eye of a potential client, giving you an opportunity to connect and close the sale? If you’re running a bland website design, the chances are, you’ll be dismissed before you even get a chance to pitch.
So yes, many websites that are perfectly presentable in many aspects, maybe even ‘well designed’, just aren’t going to cut it when it comes to catching a prospect’s attention. So what is the answer to this problem?
Custom Website Design!
It’s true that custom website design is usually much more expensive than a template or website builder plan, but there’s a reason for that. It it is much more effective! Here’s how…
- A bold, well envisioned and properly executed website design will stand out. It will appeal to a particular audience because it has been created specifically to be interesting to that audience.
- Great website design isn’t just about looking pretty, it’s about being fit for purpose. It means choosing or capturing images that are relevant to your target market. Choosing styles and colours that evoke a particular feeling. Fonts that compliment the theme of the website…
- Great website design takes into account the user’s experience. It funnels the user from the landing page to the point of conversion. It allows the user to find what they’re looking for without distracting them with a thousand things that will prevent the sale.
- Great website design is consistent with your branding and message. If your logo and website are out of kilter, it is noticeable! If your branding on Facebook or print is different to your website aesthetic, it’s jarring! Creating a consistent look and feel across your branding helps orient your users and make them feel secure. It actually inspires trust in them.
You know that expression, ‘you only get one chance to make a good impression’? That applies to your website design. If your website is memorable, because of it’s visual impact (which is often the most memorable thing about a website), you have a shot at being recognised when the user comes across you again. It can take multiple ‘touches’ from a user before they might get round to taking any action on your website, so the more memorable and positive an impression you can leave with your site visitors, the more likely they are to recognise your branding and begin to feel like you might be a leader in the field.
Here are 3 ways you can avoid a bland website design
1 – Check out websites in other industries. Look at other websites for inspiration, but don’t just look at websites in your industry – check out other sectors whose users might be similar to yours. If you’ve profiled your customers you’ll know their age groups, genders, interests, maybe even the sorts of styles that appeal to them. Be on the look out for what you think will be eye catching to them. Particularly, you might want to try to find some website styles that will fit your branding, style and voice, and that will stand out as different in your industry. If your company branding isn’t a great place to start making a bold website from, it may also be wise to consider an overhaul of that first.
2 – Make sure you don’t neglect your content. Don’t forget that being bold and standing out with your design is only one part of the puzzle. If you want to catch people’s attention you need to pay attention to what you’re communicating to them with your content. An amazing, eye-catching website design might be memorable, but if the content isn’t equally as impactful, then the ultimate result will be no conversions. Find ways to communicate how you provide solutions to your prospects’ problems that are exciting and inspiring. Find a way to offer solutions that your competitors are missing. When you marry up this content with a fresh, bold look, your website’s efficacy will be through the roof!
3 – Hire a custom website designer. Especially one whose portfolio gives you confidence that they will be able to create something unique and on target for your business. You may be worried that custom website design will be too expensive. It certainly can be but it doesn’t have to be.
At Deluxe Web, we create affordable custom websites by a process of compromise. We create bold designs as a starting point for all our templates and we customise them to suit our clients’ businesses. We provide easy pay-monthly packages to make things affordable. Or we can create fully custom designs from scratch that are perfectly tailored to your business. So there’s a route for every budget. If you’d like to know more about how Deluxe Web can help you stand out on the web, get in touch today!