Right now, almost every business owner wants to start their own website to create a stream of income and build brand recognition while catering to their customers. However, a website is more than just brick and mortar put together. A website is a representation of what your brand stands for and why your potential customers should buy from you.
Regardless of what your business specializes in, without a visually appealing and functional website offering impeccable user experience and backed by a strong SEO strategy, your business could be online and yet generate low revenue. That’s when opting for professional web design and development services can pay off in huge dividends.
However, if you are still not sure how these services will help boost ROI, here are some ways a poorly designed website could be slowing down your growth (significantly):
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Lack of clear structure
The website’s structure and hierarchy play a vital role in helping your potential customers discover more about your business, the range of products and services you offer, and other details.
A confusing, unclear website navigation can make it challenging for your potential customers to find what they are looking for. An improper structure will also lead to higher bounce rates, shopping cart abandonment, and a negative brand image.
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Unclear communication
A website’s copy effectively communicates with your customers, making it important to be impressive, value-oriented, and the benefits the brand is offering. A website that talks about everything under the sun except for the essential things will only confuse its potential customers and eventually make low sales.
Investing in content marketing can ensure your website’s content is relevant and relatable and can entice customers to try the product or service it offers.
Identifying your target audience, using action-orientated call-to-action buttons, developing a straightforward proposition, and using simple, easy-to-understand language will ensure your customers know what you have to offer and what they need to do.
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No/unrelated call-to-action buttons
Call-to-action buttons are aimed at triggering a specific favorable action that you want your customers to take. It could be sharing their email address to get a free eBook copy, subscribing to weekly newsletters, or availing of an exclusive discount code.
With a call to action button, your website turns into a park where your potential customers come for a walk. They will not make any purchases and will not engage with your website at all. The CTA button also prompts users to take action instantly.
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Outdated, dull design
An old-looking, outdated website appears unprofessional and hampers your brand’s credibility aside from communicating a disinterest in what you are doing. Instead, your website is a touchpoint that should always be maintained.
Using a theme that relates to your business niche, adding relevant pictures where needed, and following an easy-to-follow website design will ensure your potential customers want to talk to you or know more about your brand.
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Not optimized for mobile
Nearly 96% of people use a phone to access the internet to look for anything they might need or want to learn about. A website that is not mobile-optimized will lose out on such massive traffic.
Additionally, with search engines prioritizing user experience, customizing your website to fit mobile screens comfortably can go a long way in ensuring that you are able to leverage website design in your favor. Aside from that, a mobile-optimized website also enhances the shopping experience, making them want to purchase more of your products.
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Slow loading speed
A slow-loading website might not be able to serve impatient customers as quickly as they want it to. As most customers want a quick solution to their problems, even the most promising website might fail to hold their interest if it doesn’t open on time.
Factors that usually contribute to a slow-loading speed include the size of the media on the website (including image and video quality), scripts being used, and the number of plugins. Hosting also plays a key role, as shared hosting can potentially slow down your website if other websites on the same server experience heavy traffic.
Pro Tip: Addressing and rectifying common website errors is crucial to maintaining a seamless online experience for users and preventing disruptions that could impact overall performance.
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Missing or no metadata
The metadata tells search engines, browsers, and your website visitors about the content, site hierarchy, and structure. This information can span from title tags, keywords, and other information about the content on the website.
The correct metadata tells search engines and potential visitors what your website is about, the value it offers, and its benefits. The information also helps determine how the webpage will be indexed, ranked, and shown to users.
A good web design will attract, nurture, and convert visitors
Your website plays a vital role in your target audience’s opinion about your brand, which can influence a wide range of decisions they will make in the future.
A good, responsive, and relevant website will give you the opportunity to capture the interest of your target audience and give them an undeniable reason to shop from you while creating an impactful brand image.
If you have a website that might not be reaching its true potential in attracting visitors and converting them into loyal customers, then it is time to look at its web design to change the course of the wind in your direction.
