In the consumer’s eyes a website is a reflection of the business itself. If your website looks cheap and is difficult to use, consumers will assume that your products or services share these characteristics. A high quality, clean website is vital if you want customers to have a positive perception of your business.
Website design that is visually appealing will increase customer engagement. An increase in engagement will encourage customers to spend more time on your site leading them to view and process more information about your business.
If you are running an online business, having a poor quality website will almost certainly result in failure. Your website is the face of your business and a good website is critical. It doesn’t matter how much money you invest in perfecting your product or driving traffic to your site – if you website isn’t up to scratch there is little likelihood that customers are sticking around long enough to see what you have to offer.
Online businesses also need to keep in mind the quality and functionality of the e-commerce/shopping carts. If your website makes it difficult to purchase items due to poor design and maintenance you will be losing sales and money! The process of purchasing from your website should be as simple as possible.
Quality websites are also of great importance to brick-and-mortar store owners in helping customers a) find their business and b) make the decision to visit the actual store. When looking for a particular product or service, the first thing most consumers do is carry out a search online. This allows customers to view and compare a large quantity of businesses without leaving their home. If your website is below par compared to your competition – chances are you’re missing losing customers before they’ve even taken the time to visit your store.
When convincing a customer to take the time to visit your store, quality web design is not enough. The content must be informative and engaging. Where possible you should provide as much information about your products, services, locations, opening hours and contact details as possible. If a customer has all this information readily available without having to carry out further searches that will be in a better position to make an informed decision about whether or not your business will be able to satisfy their needs.
At a minimum, both online businesses and brick-and-mortar stores should have a website that is clean, functional and informative to increase their chances of success.
