In this Internet age, selling is not just about maintaining good customer relations. (Of course that is still very important!) The age old marketing techniques of having the right mix of price and product and location is lacking now. With e-commerce on the loose, customers are also drawn to the business’s web design.
Web design says a lot about the company. Is the company professional? If the design is cluttered, does it mean that the company’s system is still in the dinosaur era?
That is why even the best companies seek expert’s help in designing their websites. They recognize that web design is an important factor for winning clients and keeping them.
One of the things that clients look for is the accessibility of information. Is everything available on the web page? If not, can the webmaster be contacted easily?
The customer also looks at the safety level of online transactions. Is the web page secure? Are credit cards entered in the database safe? Is it unhackable?
There are some web designs that simply drive away potential customers. These are like the worst mistakes web designers can make and should be avoided at all cost!!!
· Dark, condescending backgrounds gives the impression that you want to scare visitors away.
· Irritating animations like flashing text, blinking pictures that change color, etc. shouts to visitors that the website is not very professional.
· Embedded audio, especially those that plays automatically, are simply downright annoying. Granted all people do not have the same tastes and one cannot simply please everyone. However, music in the website can easily turn-off a lot of web browsers.
A website that looks good means that it does not overload the senses of the reader. Pictures and information scattered all over can scare away the visitor. Ever noticed that spam websites have lots of blinking content and heavy texts?
There is what one calls the ergonomics of web design. Certain factors appeal especially to a specific kind of customer.
But generally, the above advice is applicable to many web viewers.
Some more things to consider are as follows:
· Keep the customer in mind when designing a website. What is the customer looking for? If a rapport is established between the online store and the website, the product is half sold already.
· Well written information is the key! Readers come to the website, because it has helpful information.
· Make sure that one is abreast with all the technologies available. There are many web applications nowadays that ease the site navigation of websites.
· Is the web design compatible with the many different internet browsers available in the market? Not being compatible with certain internet tools and resources can immediately slash off the number of potential customers. One would want the web design to accommodate as many people as much possible.
There are even courses that teach web developers to make web designs that sell! Such is the marketing power of a good web design.