If you thought your website is nothing more than your calling card or a mere formality, think again! Your website says a lot more about your brand and business than you imagine. The truth is that 94% of a website visitor’s first impressions are design related.

Every element of your website design says something about your business – from the choice of colours, font and imagery through to the visual hierarchy, navigation menu and the content on each page. All of these elements work together to create an impression about your brand and set a bar for the kind of experience your visitors can expect.

What’s more, studies have found that visitors make an opinion about your website within 50 milliseconds. Yet other studies find that 75% of visitors make judgements about a brand’s credibility based on their site’s design.

With so little time to impress your audience, it’s important to build a website that will wow them quickly whilst also leaving a good impression.

Here are some problems you may face with an outdated or bad web design:

Your Brand

First impressions have a permanent impact on your brand. One study finds that subsequent impressions won’t make a difference in user perception. So if your users have had a poor first impression, their perception won’t change even if the subsequent impressions are far better.

Trust and Credibility

Did you know that 38% of visitors will leave your site if they don’t find it attractive enough?

The quality of your website’s design directly affects the trust factor of your brand. A poorly designed website will have a hard time earning the trust of your visitors.

If your website is outdated, your visitors may assume you are out of business. Worse yet, they may begin to doubt your credibility as a business. If your business can’t afford to invest in a redesign, how could they trust you to deliver a high-quality product/service?

Customer Satisfaction

The first impression that a visitor gets from your website will have a priming effect on their perception about your business and how they perceive future interactions with your brand. Studies suggest that positive priming can improve user experience satisfaction whereas poor first impressions can significantly affect user satisfaction.

Your Online Presence

If your website is not keeping up with the latest web design standards (such as mobile responsive design, HTTPS, fast page load speed, etc.), it could hurt your business dramatically. Moreover, an outdated user interface can also adversely affect your online presence
The search engines are always evolving, constantly looking for ways to provide the best experience to their users. If your website design does not comply with the latest design standards, you will have a hard time ranking in the top spot of the search engine result pages (SERPs).

in Your Customers with a Quality Website

The stakes are higher than ever before. As we saw above, your website’s design has a direct impact on the way people perceive your brand, how much they trust your business and your online presence among other things.

Here at Insight Media, we work with small and medium businesses across Ireland to craft a high-conversion website that delivers the desired results. Like you, our clients recognise that lead generation is an intricate process that begins with great design. First impressions not only paint a pretty picture but also boost sales.

We find that good design delivers a huge payoff, time and time again. In a competitive, crowded market, it is important to create a space where your brand and your products/services stand out, grab the attention of your audience and engages them long enough to convert them.

Contact us today to discuss your web design project!

Credit: Bob Stokes