The Impact of High-Quality Web Design on Brand Image
Beyond supporting your e-commerce platform and providing instant access to any valued consumer action you want to promote, your organization’s website should serve as the central hub of all your consumer outreach and communications. As such, it must perfectly reflect the brand image and company reputation you have worked so hard to cultivate.
Defining High-Quality Web Design
Like art, the definition of high-quality web design is very much in the eye of the beholder. Design plans that work perfectly well for an organization with one brand image might just fail for another. In other words, the elements that constitute high-quality design differ dramatically from organization to organization and website to website. However, appropriate visual aesthetics, easy accessibility and intuitive/logical navigation will make any website significantly more efficient and effective.
First Impressions Matter
There is no doubt about it: appearances matter. A visually appealing website will attract new visitors and lead existing visitors to spend more time on-site. Aesthetically pleasing websites are generally regarded as more professional, credible and trustworthy. The team at Lucid Advertising presents many case studies of brands they have transformed through expert web design, including the carefully orchestrated rebrand of a regional Florida pharmacy into the national entity Everwell.
Web Design and User Experience (UX)
Beyond how a website looks, its overall functionality and user experience (UX) tremendously impact visitor satisfaction, time on site, conversion metrics and consumer relationship-building. First and foremost, a website should be easily accessible to all visitors on both computers and mobile devices. Second, it must have the speed necessary to bring up a page instantly. Third, it must have an intuitive layout and organized content that is easy to find and read. Fortunately, an organization can do all this and more by designing its website to meet specific user needs, stressing simplistic and ergonomic navigation and ensuring all navigation links function as intended.
Consistency Across All Platforms
In terms of aesthetics and functionality, a good website will possess a consistent design that spans all its internal pages. This website should serve as the heart of a consistent brand identity that defines an organization’s holistic marketing outreach throughout the digital environment and the “real world.” A great way to tailor your website to match your exact image and further your unique objectives is to build it from scratch through custom coding. It may be tempting to use an easy, pre-set template for your website, but there are no “one size fits all” solutions in the world of digital marketing. Furthermore, people tend to associate cookie-cutter websites with low-rent or run-of-the-mill companies.
Web Design as a Communication Tool
Because web design elements convey brand values and messages, you must strive for a website that attracts attention and inspires confidence. After all, design elements ranging from color palettes and typefaces to images and videos can communicate important information and evoke significant feelings. By ensuring that all these elements align with your brand image, you can tell a cohesive story about exactly who you are.
The SEO Benefits of High-Quality Web Design
From boosting site speed to decreasing bounce rates, good web design can improve search engine optimization (SEO) metrics in many ways. SEO professionals know these metrics can make all the difference when landing your website at the top of relevant online searches. Website design quality and optimized content can also enhance SEO by decreasing bounce rates and advancing user engagement.
Analyzing the ROI of Quality Web Design
To ensure that you are getting the best return on investment (ROI) for your web design dollar, you will want to pay close attention to all the metrics mentioned above and others that assess brand characteristics and brand perception. Check out the Lucid Advertising website redesign case study for the women’s health clinic, Coyle Institute. Among other positive effects, Coyle experienced an 800% increase in patient appointments after the redesign.
Future Trends in Web Design and Branding
From the growing integration of AI into websites to elements that demonstrate corporate social responsibility, many different trends are shaping the future of brand-sensitive web design. While different innovations will be relevant to different organizations, marketing professionals must stay abreast of all industry advancements to help their clients stay ahead of the competition.
Schedule a Free Audit
For more information about the all-important relationship between quality web design and positive brand image, contact Lucid Advertising today. A highly knowledgeable Lucid representative is standing by to answer your questions or schedule a free website audit for your organization.
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