Why Your Website Matters to Your Business’ Bottom Line

Web-Design

Businesses know that websites are a critically important piece of marketing collateral. The digital equivalent of a business card, they serve to validate you as a business, while also generating trust, reliability, credibility and even sales. Your website is where people will arrive after Googling you or meeting you at a conference. And they can be the make-or-break between someone choosing you or a competitor. While the initial outlay for a small business website can seem hefty, a well-designed, strategically crafted website will recoup every penny.

A Great Website Delivers Real ROI

A great website is one that engages potential customers, gets them excited about what you offer, and even gets them to pay for it. It should be visually appealing, easy to navigate, and informative without being overkill. It should intuitively understand consumers’ needs, and meet them in a way that’s simple and seamless. Targeted product descriptions, pricing breakdowns, user reviews, media features, and a look at the people behind the business are just some of the things your customers might be looking for.

A great website should also be built with SEO in mind. These days, the key to SEO isn’t searched strings: it’s relevance and usability. A website should meet users’ expectations by providing informative, relevant information. It should also meet their needs by being quick to load, easy to browse, and optimized for accessibility.

Such a website can deliver powerful ROI across many metrics. Visits, lead generation, and conversions are some of the more concrete ones. However, a great website is also invaluable in overall reputation building and visibility. These can be harder to measure, but they’re key to the overall growth and longevity of your business.

A Bad Website is Worse Than No Website

On the other hand, a website that’s clunky, poorly organized, slow to load or outdated suggests anything from a lack of professionalism to a lack of trustworthiness. And consumers know when a website doesn’t measure up. According to studies cited by usability.gov, having a credible-looking website scored a 4 out of 5 on the relative importance scale.

A poorly built, designed or optimized website doesn’t deter only consumers, however. It will also be penalized by search engines, meaning that it won’t rank for search terms in your category. Given that businesses rely on websites to generate leads and conversions, a poorly designed website can cost you more than your reputation.

But what counts as a “bad” website might surprise you. A shiny website full of parallax and incredible images can be just as bad as an outdated one. It all depends on how that website is crafted. Your website not only needs to be on-brand and on-trend, but it also needs to meet strict performance, usability, and accessibility requirements. Those that don’t will slip to the bottom of the search rankings.

Your Website is Your Business…and Ours

Your website is an essential part of your branding, and also of your business model. It should be built accordingly – and also in line with current best practices. Remember, a website is the linchpin of your online presence, and should be strategically crafted with an understanding of your customer’s needs and interests, as well as where they are in the buying cycle.

If you’re considering redesigning your website, or are looking to build one from scratch, we can help ensure that it delivers maximum ROI – both financially and reputationally.

See Also:

The 8 Web Design Commandments That Will Deliver a Heavenly Website

7 Things Google Wants You to Avoid on Your Website

8 Ways to Boost Your Visibility and Discoverability for Any Size Business

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