The internet is a great place to sell your products and services, as well as market your company. Websites are not just places to advertise your business; they are virtual storefronts that potential customers can visit 24/7. In fact, the second most common search engine result is a website. Websites provide information about your business, introduce you and your team, showcase products or services, sell products directly to visitors or drive traffic to your other marketing channels. The trick is having a website that people want to visit. When it comes to designing a website for yourself or your business, it helps if you have some knowledge of design principles and practices. While many people have a general idea of what makes for good design, we’ll delve into some specifics. That way you’ll be better prepared when looking for a web designer.
What to Look for in a Web Designer
When searching for a web designer, it’s important to keep in mind what you want your website to do and who your target audience is. This is the basis for all good design, so it makes sense to start here. – The marketing strategy: How will your website drive traffic? What marketing channels will your website support? What will be the call to action on your site? What type of content will be featured on the site? All of these questions are at the heart of a good marketing strategy. Depending on the type of website you’re looking to have designed, you’ll want to make sure you find a web designer who also has marketing experience. – The design style: What’s your design style? And does it match what your potential clients are expecting? Do you want a modern or classic look? A clean and simple design or something more elaborate? What colors are important to you or your company? Depending on your industry, the design style of your website can make or break you. For example, a clean and simple design is great for B2B clients. But if you’re in the retail or hospitality business, you’ll want a design that’s attractive and appealing to your clients. – The technology used: What type of website do you want? Static or dynamic? CMS or no CMS? How will your website be hosted? What software is used to build your website? All of these questions will help narrow down the type of designers you’re looking for. For example, if you want to have a database-driven website, you’ll want to find a web designer who works with CMS (Content Management Systems) like WordPress, Drupal, or Squarespace.
Expert Communication Skills
It’s never a good idea to go with the lowest bid. However, there are other factors to consider when hiring a web designer. Here are a few things to look for when hiring a web designer: – Have they worked with clients similar to you? Do they specialize in industries like yours? What type of client base do they have? – How do they communicate with you? Do they have an online portal where you can exchange messages and see the progress of your website? Do they have regular office hours? Or can they be reached by phone, text or email 24/7? – Are they available for regular phone or video calls to discuss your project? – Are they willing to collaborate with you and your team on the design of your site? Or do they have all the answers and expect you to follow their design plan?
Responsive Designs
One of the biggest mistakes many new designers make is building static sites that don’t scale for mobile devices. With the rise of mobile devices, it’s critical that your site be responsive. Not only does it look unprofessional to have your website be unreadable on the small screens of mobile devices, but it also hurts your traffic and conversion rates. While it’s not a deal breaker if your site isn’t responsive, it is a sign that you might not be getting the most out of your website.
Good Typography Choices
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language more attractive and effective. For example, you can choose different fonts, font sizes, font colors, and even font placement to add visual appeal and meaning to your website. Your font choices are critical to the aesthetics of your site. Bad font choices can ruin an otherwise great design. For example, a font that’s too small, too large, or too bold makes it difficult to read and can ruin your site.
Solid Color Usage
Color plays a critical role in the aesthetics and mood of your website. It also plays a key role in how your site is perceived. For example, red, blue, and yellow are popular colors for retail or B2B sites. However, if you’re in the travel or hospitality industry, you’ll want to steer clear of these colors. Another thing to keep in mind is that color meanings change across cultures. If your website will be targeted towards a global audience, you’ll want to do some research on the color meanings used in your design. Otherwise, you could offend your audience without even knowing it.
Video Usage
The use of video on websites has increased dramatically over the last few years. In fact, 60% of marketers plan to increase their video marketing budgets in 2019. There are several reasons for this. First, videos are great at converting visitors into leads and sales. Second, videos are excellent for building trust among new and repeat visitors. Having a video on your site can dramatically increase your conversion rates. However, you should use videos sparingly. You don’t want to overdo it and annoy your visitors. Again, it’s about striking a balance between calling attention to yourself and being useful and helpful.
Summary
The internet is a great place to sell your products and services, as well as market your company. Websites are not just places to advertise your business; they are virtual storefronts that potential customers can visit 24/7. In fact, the second most common search engine result is a website. Websites provide information about your business, introduce you and your team, showcase products or services, sell products directly to visitors or drive traffic to your other marketing channels. The trick is having a website that people want to visit. The marketing strategy, design style, technology used, expert communication skills, good typography, solid color usage and video are some of the factors to look for in a web designer.