Choosing a web designer can be a big decision. Done right, it can be very rewarding for your business, improving your brand awareness, expanding your reach to your target market, and ultimately generating more sales.
If you miss the mark, it can be very expensive. Not only is there the outlay for the website, poor results open the door for your competitors to drive your potential customers out of the market.
This may be happening to you right now…
What is the size of the prize?
The Internet remains the fastest growing advertising medium on the planet. Australia has stepped up with the National Broadband Network, the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken in this country. That should tell you something about the role the internet is expected to play in the future and the need to have your business online where all the opportunities lie. On top of this, it is estimated that up to 80 percent of all internet searches are for a local business. It should be the one to be found when people search for the goods and services you offer.
What is effective website design?
The purpose of a website has changed drastically in recent years. It is no longer enough to have a website in case someone searches you to find your phone number. Your website should be a lead generation tool, getting your business in front of your potential customers. That means the real purpose of your website is to get you more calls, more sales, and more profit. Anything less than that and you are missing out on a great opportunity to grow your business and stay competitive.
Web design used to be all about good looks and ease of navigation, but that’s not close enough to stay competitive today. If this is all your web designer is talking about, you should be seriously concerned. You should be discussing a website that is optimized for your customers and search engines. Then you need to implement proven marketing techniques designed to improve lead-to-customer conversions and a system to monitor this. Now it starts to look like an effective website design.
Choosing a website designer
Understanding these factors helps you know what to look for when choosing a web design agency. If your potential web designer is only talking about layouts and colors and how the site should look like, you need to seriously think about whether or not your website will make a profit for you. If you’re discussing how your website will help increase sales, you’re that much closer to success before you even get started.