Most businesses know that having a good website design is important. After all, your online presence can make or break your business. But is it enough to have any website design, or do you need more than that?
For small businesses, especially if you’re faced with cost challenges or limited technical skills, investing in a well-designed, you can consider using professional website design services by BigEasySEO.com.
Why Website Design Matters?
Your website design is important because your customers care about design. Whether consciously or not, we all react to visuals, and people are naturally drawn to good design. When it comes to your website design, studies have shown again and again that users quickly judge your business based on visuals alone and will often stop using your site if it’s poorly designed.
75% of users make judgments about a company’s credibility based on visual design alone
When you come across an outdated-looking website design, what does that make you think about the company? You may doubt their legitimacy, question their products or services, or even look at a competitor’s website for a better answer. Regardless, research shows we judge businesses based on the look of their websites.
94% of users’ first impressions of healthcare websites were design-related (Source)
First impressions are powerful, and what your website looks like can create a good impression or drive visitors away. While this study focused on healthcare website designs precisely, the same is true for other industries.
It only takes visitors 50 milliseconds to form a first impression of your website design (Source)
Speaking of first impressions, users form them almost instantaneously. According to a study from Google, it only takes 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds)! In that split second, users don’t have a chance to read your site or click on anything. That fast first impression depends on visual design.
38% of people will stop engaging with your website if your content and layout is unattractive (Source)
Poor web design doesn’t only hurt your credibility. It can also drive away potential customers. People prefer to view content on beautifully-designed websites, and if your content is unattractive, you’re likely losing more than ⅓ of your visitors.
What “Good Design” Means
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
But while there’s undoubtedly some personal preference in how people interpret design, studies show a lot of consistency in how we perceive design. Science and psychology support the idea that we are drawn to beautiful things, and people inherently react to good design.
All designs use standard elements like color, shape, and size. A good design applies those elements to create a consistent visual language.
Usability
The design has a massive impact on how easy it is for visitors to find what they’re looking for from your website design. Research shows that 86% of your website visitors want to see product or service information, 65% look for contact information, and 52% seek an About page for your business.
Your web design should make these things as easy to find as possible – otherwise, you’ll frustrate your users and potentially drive them away. Consider using standard conventions, like putting your primary services in your main navigation and featuring your phone number in the upper-right-hand corner of your site.