Read: The Importance of Good Web Design
| 24 June 2009
People aren't asking anymore if they need a website. Most everyone understands now that the Internet is here to stay. But people do balk at spending thousands of dollars on a high quality, professionally made website. I hear things like "My brother/sister/nephew can build it for me for free." or "I just can't justify $10,000 for a website because I am not selling my product/service online." In the current economy, people are spending money more wisely. Businesses are being tighter with their purse strings as they should. Every dollar counts which is exactly why paying for the best possible website is more important than ever. When times are tough, marketing becomes a critical tool for bringing in revenue, and your website is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have.
Your website's purpose may be complex but one of its primary goals is certainly to serve as an introduction to consumers. Potential consumers that are researching a product or service will turn to Google or Bing and start typing and clicking. If you have implemented an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy, or if you are lucky, your website will come up in the search results along with your competitors. You've got a visitor but not yet a customer. If your website is not better than that of your competitors (more informative, aesthetically superior, easier to navigate) that potential customer will remain just a website visitor. They will leave your website without purchasing your product or contacting your business. They will remain a page visit in your Google Analytics website statistics.
What is the value of that visitor's first purchase? What is the value of that visitor's business over 1 year? Over a lifetime? What is the value of the referral business from that visitor? How much potential money do you lose every time a visitor remains just a visitor? Answer these questions and you will know the importance of good web design.