Design matters

Although we are not all graphic designers, the look of our websites is important and an aspect we should all consider carefully.

The colour, font choice, and layout of each of your web pages will directly influence how your company is perceived and whether users stay on the site or revisit it. If you do not have the budget to hire a graphic designer, and you feel the need to improve the overall design of your website, here are some tips to help you gather inspiration and ideas to develop your own unique design style.

Go surfing! It is by far the best way to access ideas and see what other designers and graphic artists are doing online. We are not suggesting you copy another company’s designs. What we are suggesting is that you use the internet as a huge research resource. Any time you are surfing online, take some time to really look at the websites you like, the sites you dislike, and the designs that catch your eye. Over time, this will help you develop an eye for good design.

Think about your brand and your industry, and do a search for companies in the same field. Look at their sites. How have they designed their websites and what makes them stand out? Could you improve on the designs that are out there?

Gradually build up a virtual mood-board of screen shots and photographs that give you inspiration and ideas for your own site. Very soon, you will have hit on the perfect theme, colour scheme and layout for your own website.

Don’t listen to the naysayers who believe design does not matter! It matters more today than it ever has. And in reality, design has been part of every-day life for generations. It is how we position ourselves in society, how we project an image of ourselves, and it is how we show our taste and style. Do you know a single online business that would not benefit from this design approach?

Every website needs to take design seriously and give it the thought and attention it deserves. The right layout, and effective colours and images, can make a huge difference to how attractive your site is to customers, and how long they stay and explore.

If you want to attract customers, and reduce your bounce rate online, use deign to make your message and image more powerful.