The Importance of Professional Web Design for Small Businesses in NZ
Do you want to look professional?
We can tell you why a professional web design will help your small business website.
1. First impressions matter
For websites, first impressions matter. Imagine visiting a website that is outdated, difficult to navigate around, and the design is inconsistent and uninviting. Either there is too little content that you can't find what you're looking for, or there is too much content that its overwhelming and there's no way you are going to read it. You quickly leave the website.
Now, picture the next website you visit. It has eye-catching visuals, easy-to-use navigation, and interesting content. Suddenly, your curiosity is peaked and you're impressed. You start checking out the rest of the website. That is the power of professional web design - it captures attention, is easy to use, and keeps visitors coming back for more.
How can small service-based business in Wellington improve their websites first impression?
Review your hero section as this is the first thing a potential customer will see. Make sure it includes:
A key message illustrating what your business does and how it helps your customers
Include a Call-To-Action (CTA)
Simple navigation at the top (no more than 5 links)
Your logo or business name
Here is a fun fact: It only takes 50 milliseconds for users to form an opinion of your website.
(Source: Taylor and Francis online)
2. User experience
A professionally designed website can greatly improve your customers' experience on your site. Everything in designed, but not everything is designed well. A well-designed website will be easy to navigate, visually appealing, and provide a great user experience. It should use best practices to ensure that content is presented in a way that attracts and converts customers. By creating a great user experience, you will find that your website visitors are more likely to become paying customers.
How can you as a small service-based business in Wellington improve your websites user experience?
some text
Fun fact: 38% of users will stop using a website if they find the layout unattractive
(Source: Webfx)
3. Mobile responsiveness
Let's face it: everyone uses their mobile devices for everything these days. Mobile users have specific expectations and behaviors when browsing websites on their devices. They're often looking for quick answers, immediate solutions, or local services. By offering a professional mobile-responsive design, you can meet these expectations and capture the attention of potential customers on the go. If you find yourself having to pinch, zoom, or scroll excessively, your potential customers will leave your website for a competitor. A professional web design ensures that your website is responsive and looks good on all devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobiles.
How can you as a small service-based business in Wellington improve your websites mobile responsiveness?
buttons are large enough to click on
compressed images so you dont slow down loading
Clear and legible text so it can be easily read on small screens - minimum 16px
simplify forms - minimise number of fields and ensure its sized properly
test on multiple devices
Fun fact: Over 50% of all website traffic comes from mobile devices.
(Source: Statista)
4. Stand out from your competitors
Competition can be fierce, but a professional website can help you stand out from the crowd. A well-designed website can build trust and credibility with potential customers, making them more likely to choose your business over others. On the other hand, a poorly designed website can make your business appear unprofessional and hurt your chances of attracting new customers. Your website should be memorable, unique, and representative of your brand. When you stand out from the crowd, customers take notice. So let your design do the talking and watch as your business grabs attention and steals hearts.
How can you as a small service-based business in Wellington stand out from your competition?
Distinctive branding (use clear branding) compelling colour scheme and fonts, ensure consitiancy
Use high quality content, ensure its engaging and informative, but in small managable chunks so its not overwhelming.
Fun fact: 89% of consumers switched to a competitor’s websites as a result of bad user experience
(Source: WebFX)
5. Build creditability
Trust is essential for small service-based businesses. Customers require confidence in your abilities before choosing you. A well-designed website can demonstrate your business's professionalism and attention to detail, which helps build trust and confidence in your brand. On the other hand, a poorly designed website can make your business appear unprofessional and untrustworthy. A professional web design will showcase glowing testimonials, client reviews, and impressive case studies, demonstrating your expertise. You will send a clear message: "Hey, we mean business, and we're here for you and beyond!”.
How can you as a small service-based business in Wellington build credibility with your website?
Add the following onto your website
testimonials
client reviews
case studies or success stories
use high quality images
clear messaging
Add an about page to tell the story of your or your business
Fun fact: 48% of people said that web design was the number 1 way they determine the credibility of a business
Source: Virtual Window
6. SEO optimised for success
You have a killer website design, but is it optimized for success? In the world of Google, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the key to online visibility. Your website needs to be friends with those search engine bots. Great web design will ensure your small business website embraces SEO-friendly practices, such as keyword optimization, smart meta tags, and a responsive design that looks incredible on any device. By blending top-notch design with SEO goodness, you can climb the ladder to online success.
How can you as a small service-based business in Wellington improve your websites SEO ranking?
compress images
add alt text to images
ensure keywords are used within your content
provide & optimise page descriptions and titles
Fun fact: Of that 2 billion, only around 400 million are active
Source: Hosting Tribunal
