By now, it should be pretty clear that your site is a significant component of how individuals perceive your business. If a person is familiar with your business simply because a friend mentioned it to them or they came across you on Google, the first thing they tend to do is check out your site. That one visit is your chance to make a good impression, and it flies by.
Nine out of ten times, individuals decide on a site in the first second or two. It’s sensationalized, but we’ve all been guilty of it. You visit a site, and if it appears to be old, clumsy, or confusing, you shut it down. You don’t proceed further, you don’t read the “About Us” page, and you definitely don’t complete a contact form. You just click to the next.
As someone who works with business owners every day, I can assure you that numerous websites are losing companies leads without them being aware of it. And in an age where a good portion of our business is done online, that’s a huge issue.
At Nextfly, we create websites that are clean, efficient, and actually work for the businesses they represent. Here’s why that matters, and what you should be thinking about if your site needs a face-lift.
It’s Not Just About Looking Good
One of the biggest web design myths is that it is all about making something look nice. Sure, part of it is, but designing is a heck of a lot more than looks. A great site must be extremely easy to use, easy to navigate, and built with the intention of getting people to do whatever you want them to do.
Occasionally that’s filling out a form. Other times it’s making an appointment, reading your blog, or purchasing something. Regardless of what the goal is, the site needs to make it happen and make it obvious. If people have to search to find your phone number, or they’re not sure where to click next, they will give up.”.
Design is really all about experience. When someone comes to your site, you want them to feel comfortable. You want them to easily find what they’re searching for, without much frustration. And ideally, you want them to stick around long enough to click the next button.
Mobile Experience Comes First
We used to talk about mobile responsiveness as an extra. Now it’s standard. Well over half of all web traffic is on mobile, and for some businesses, it’s more than that.
That is, your site needs to perform just as well on a phone as on a PC. It needs to be easy to read, easy to navigate, and load in seconds. If users have to pinch and zoom and wait for pages to load, they won’t hang around.
We build every site with mobile-first design from the ground up. We don’t just shrink down the desktop version. We make sure the layout works on a small screen and that users can navigate the site as easily on a phone as they can on a laptop.
Your Website Should Feel Like Your Business
Something I always tell clients is, your site ought to be the same as the remainder of your brand. If I get a postcard from you in the mail and then visit your website, they shouldn’t be two different businesses.
That doesn’t just mean using the same colors or fonts. It’s about tone, style, and clarity. If you’re a local roofing company that prides itself on being down-to-earth and approachable, your website should feel that way too. If you’re a luxury interior design firm, the design should feel polished and high-end.
When there’s tension between your company and your site, customers notice. Even if they don’t say anything, it creates doubt. That’s why we invest time learning about your business prior to crafting anything. Your site needs not just to convey what you do, but how you do it too.
Design and SEO Go Hand in Hand
We don’t always consider web design and search engine optimization, but they’re inextricably linked. Google is not merely interested in content, it also cares about your site’s design. That includes load time, mobile responsiveness, page structure, and even how easy it is for users to find things.
If your site is slow or behind the times, it can actually hurt your search rankings. That’s why SEO is something we think about from the very start. We build sites that are well-structured, fast, and designed to increase your visibility in the long term.
You don’t have to be a keyword expert to appreciate the value of smart SEO. A well-designed site does much of that work behind the scenes.
Why We Use WordPress
We build most of our sites using WordPress. It’s flexible, reliable, and puts our clients in charge and enables them to make changes without having to be a programmer.
Once your site is live, you can modify text, swap images, post blog entries, and manage contact forms on your own. Of course, we’re always there to help if you need us, but we believe you should own your own site.
WordPress is easy to expand as well. You can have to introduce a new service, launch a campaign, or create a new section of your website; WordPress can help you do that without starting from scratch.
What It’s Like to Work With Us
We try to make it as easy and stress-free as possible. We begin with a conversation. We learn about your business, talk through your objectives, and make sure that we understand what you need from your website. Then, our designers create a layout that works for your business, and our developers bring it to life.
Once we’ve constructed the site, we walk it through with you, make any adjustments, and get it up and running. And then we’re on call for updates, support, or whatever comes up.
We know that a web project can feel overwhelming when you start out, especially if your current site is older or not performing the way you’d like. That’s our job: making it more manageable.
How to Know When It’s Time for a New Site
If your site hasn’t been updated in a few years, that’s usually a good sign that it’s time to look it over. But even newer sites have issues if they weren’t created with your business goals in mind.
If your site isn’t producing leads well, if people are complaining it doesn’t work so great on their phone, or if you’ve changed your brand but your site hasn’t adjusted yet, those’re all good reasons to redesign.
You don’t need to wait for something to fail. A well-timed web refresh can keep you ahead of the competition and give customers an even better experience today.
Let’s Create Something That Works
Your website can be more than an online business card. It can further your goals, communicate your brand, and engage customers, also.
If not, then you don’t know, reach out to us. We’ll take a peek, give you our honest feedback, and review your options.