In a world where face-to-face customer interactions continue to trend downwards, the importance of an effective website has never been more obvious. The physical store front has quickly been replaced with a virtual home page, so how do we gain and keep our customers’ trust if they can’t look us in the eye?
This is where quality web design earns its flowers. Read on, we’ll show you how.
1. It shows the customer who you are
Your brand isn’t what you think you are, it’s what other people think you are. In a physical store this is easier to control as you have the ability to answer any questions on the spot; provide a warm, personalised customer service experience; and immerse the consumer in a carefully curated, branded environment.
On a website, this takes a considerable amount of planning and intuitive design. A skilled web designer will build a virtual experience that tells the visitor everything they need to know about your brand, without bombarding them with information.
The customer will make the final decision about who you are – but it doesn’t hurt to give them a nudge in the right direction.
2. It keeps the customer at the heart
Providing a memorable customer service experience is one of the driving forces behind getting people to come back – that’s no secret. However, when you’re potentially thousands of miles and several time zones away from your customer, this can be a challenge.
Customers need to know that they are at the heart of your business – and so they must be at the heart of your website. A good website is designed with your brand in mind. A great website is designed with your customer in mind.
User experience (UX) should be one of your top priorities when designing a website. A combination of thoughtful information architecture, minimalistic design, and eye-catching visual hierarchy creates a website that is not only easy to use, but easy to connect with.
Your website will be many people’s first impression, so it’s important to show them straight away how valuable they are to you.
3. If you care about your website, so will they
Picture this – you stumble across a brand you’ve never seen before and are intrigued by their new audio equipment. You click on their website to find out more and are greeted by a ‘Blog’ section which was last updated 18 months ago. Are you still interested? We’re going to guess, probably not. If they can’t keep their website up to date, how cutting-edge are they really?
This is a common experience for many consumers, and one not many business leaders seem to be aware of. By maintaining a modern, well-designed, and regularly updated website, you are showing your customers that you are active and on top of your game.
Be consistent, and don’t become an archive!
4. They need (social) proof!
93.4% of consumers rely on customer reviews when dealing with retailers they’re not familiar with – 93.4%!
It’s a no-brainer to include social proof on your website, but if a customer is heading to your ‘Reviews’ page, chances are they’re already pretty convinced. So, what’s the solution?
Effective web design is backed with data, such as where the eyes are drawn on a webpage. With this data in mind, social proof can be seamlessly embedded within the key areas of the page, to immediately showcase just how trusted and respected your brand is.
The customer that was on the fence? They just hopped off.
5. Keep it safe and secure
The last thing any customer wants to think about when visiting your website is if their personal data is secure. They may be convinced by your brand and your product, but if they aren’t completely confident in your site’s security, they just won’t buy.
Having secure systems in place is priority one, but almost as important is making sure your customers know it. The less tech-confident your user, the more clarity they may require around security.
Effective web designers can create a sense of security with trust marks, graphics and concise copy, helping to put your customer at ease.
Trust is everything
When it comes down to it, trust really is everything. You may provide the best service, create the best products or have the most transformative ideas, but if your customers don’t trust you, it’s game over. This, in a nutshell, is what web design is about. You’ve built the company and are ready for people to hear you – now let us give you your voice.
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