If you’re in charge of running a business, then you’ll already be aware of the importance of having an online presence. The digital revolution has made researchers of us all, and the corresponding increase in social media traffic seems to have given us all the compulsion to find out as much as we can about people and companies that we deal with.
Not Just Any Website
Some business owners, managers and sole traders believe that paying for professional web design is a waste of money. Limited budgets and an urge to cut corners wherever possible can lead many people to believe that they are better served by heading for one of the many online ‘build your own website in an evening’ sites, which offer templates and ‘drag and drop’ interfaces that allow you to create your own project.
You’ll almost certainly find that it takes more than an evening, but that will be the least of your worries. Even if you manage to create a beautiful-looking site, the chances are that none of your prospective customers will ever find it, thanks to a lack of adequate SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Also, your ‘free’ website will be littered with adverts, which will not only annoy visitors but will also fail to convince them of your professionalism.
Go Professional
Lifehack points out that your website is a reflection of your business ethos. A professional website creates the right impression from the moment that a visitor clicks on to it. First impressions count for a great deal, particularly in the world of the internet, where your competitors are only a click, tap or swipe away.
More surprisingly perhaps, Forbes reports on recent research which shows that visitors are more likely to be swayed by great web design than they are by the content. Some of the most off-putting aspects of web design seem to be complex layouts, small print, boring design, pop-up adverts and slow load times.
Of course, it’s perfectly possible to study web design elements in your spare time. There are plenty of online resources that will guide you through the maze of design, graphics, fonts, usability, responsive design, HTML and CSS standards and much more. Given enough time, you might be able to put together a pleasing site and even manage to navigate your way through the minefield of SEO techniques. Or you could save yourself a great deal of time and trouble and call in professionals.
You don’t have to head to London, or any of the big cities, to source professional web design teams. Nowadays you can find talented, committed professionals in towns and even villages the length and breadth of the country, so you can source great web development in Berkshire or the Borders. Companies such as Web Equator can provide a complete digital marketing service adapted to your specific requirements, encompassing everything from web design through to analytics. They also offer a full maintenance and support service.
When your website is the online representative of your company and everything that it represents, it seems a false economy to skimp on the details. Look at it as an investment that will quickly pay for itself and generate profits.