Sitenomics Sarona, WI | How to design a website that reflects your business
You’ve decided you want a new website, or maybe you don’t have a website, and you want to make sure that when people visit your site, they understand what you do and what your business is about. You also want the design to be visually appealing because first impressions matter. So, where do you start? How do you ensure your website looks good and accurately reflects your business? Keep reading for tips on designing a website that reflects your business.
Your website is often the first interaction potential customers will have with your business. It must be memorable, reflect your brand, and accurately communicate what you do.
Your website is an extension of your brand, so the site’s aesthetic must align with the rest of your marketing collateral, such as your logo, brochures, business cards, etc. Consistency across all platforms helps create a cohesive and trustworthy brand identity.
1. Understand Your Customers
The first step in designing a website that accurately reflects your business is understanding who your target audience is. This includes understanding their pain points, what they are looking for, their buyer journey, etc. Once you know who you are designing for, you can start thinking about how you want to position your business in their minds.
Are you a luxury brand or a budget-friendly option? Are you targeting businesses or consumers? Your answers to these questions will help shape the overall tone and feel of the site.
If you’re unsure who your target audience is, check out our blog post on How to Define Your Target Audience for more tips and information.
After you have a handle on your target audience, it’s time to start thinking about the design of your website. This includes everything from the colors and fonts you use to the layout and navigation of your site.
Your website should be designed in a way that is visually appealing and easy to use. Navigation should be intuitive and logical.
If you’re unsure where to start, plenty of resources available online, like this one from Canva, can help you get started with the basics of web design.
2. Define Your Goals
The second step is defining your goals for the site. What do you want people to do when they visit? Do you want them to buy something? Sign up for something? Request more information? Knowing what actions you want people to take on your site will help guide the site’s overall design and user experience.
For example, if one of your goals is to get people to request more information from you, then having a main form on the homepage would make sense since that’s one of the first things visitors would see when they land on the site. However, if getting visitors to fill out a form isn’t one of your main goals, then having a form on the homepage might not make as much sense because it could deter visitors from exploring other parts of the site.
It’s essential to think about what you want people to do on your site and then design the layout accordingly. If you’re unsure what the best way to lay out your site is, there are a few things you can do to figure it out.
One way is to look at other sites in your industry and see what they’re doing. If you know a lot of places with a specific layout or feature, it’s probably because it works well. Another way is to think about what would make sense for your business. For example, if you have a lot of products or services, you might want to have a section on the homepage that showcases them.No matter what, making sure your site is easy to use and navigate is essential so people can find what they’re looking for. If you keep these things in mind, you’ll be well on designing a successful website.
3. Create Compelling Content
Once you know who your target audience is and what actions you want them to take on the site, it’s time to start thinking about the content that will live on the site (i.e., copywriting). The content should be well written, accurate, persuasive, and reflect your brand voice/tone. The overall goal should be to create content that provides value to visitors and answers their questions so they can make an informed decision about whether or not they want to do business with you.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing copy for your website:
– Write in a clear, concise, and easy-to-understand manner
– Use short sentences and paragraphs
– Use active voice
– Be consistent with your brand voice/tone throughout the site
– Keep the content updated regularly
– Use keyword-rich phrases to help with search engine optimization (SEO)
– Use calls to action (CTAs) throughout the site to encourage visitors to take the next step
– proofread, proofread, proofread! Typos can make your site look unprofessional and sloppy.
Conclusion:
Designing a website that accurately reflects your business takes time and effort. Still, it’s worth it because having a well-designed website helps build credibility and trust with potential customers, leading to more conversions (i.e., sales). Use these three tips – understand your customers, define your goals, and create compelling content – as a starting point for designing a website that accurately represents what your business does best.
When you’re ready to take your website to the next level, Sitenomics can help. We are a Website Designer based in Rice Lake that specializes in creating custom websites that are visually appealing, user-friendly, and responsive. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you grow your business online.