Why your business should invest in website design in 2020

Gone are the days where businesses could rely upon simple physical traffic and word of mouth. Likewise, and even for digital brands, it is no longer possible to gain traction through a few basic pitches on social media and/or basic keyword research in targeting search results. To truly impress – and retain – customers in 2020, you need an absolutely professional online image.

While search engines and a social media presence can do wonders in improving reception among audiences, businesses ultimately need a strong and robust website presence to truly convert. Whether your business is selling products and services via the internet directly or using such platforms to generate leads, website design plays a huge role in the process in 2020.

As such, let’s review the basics of why your business absolutely needs a comprehensive web design strategy in 2020.

Your competitors are investing

With regard to the benefits of web design, there’s one simple point to always remember: if you’re not investing in such design, it’s likely your competitors are. While a niche where nobody is investing in website design improvements might reduce the need for such renovations, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a situation where that actually exists.

If your competitors are improving the look, feel and functionality of their websites, this ultimately can attract customers that would otherwise be winnable by your business. Do you really want to lose a potentially large segment of your target audience to competitors just because your website has an outdated design?

Remember: business web presence is largely an arms race. You have to be constantly willing to improve, if for no other reason than your competitors will be doing the same.

Outdated websites are hard to navigate

The older a website, the more difficult it can be for modern devices to utilise it properly. As website design ages, it becomes both aesthetically displeasing and less intuitive for users who have adapted to more modern design elements.

In particular, the advent of mobile devices is quickly forcing successful businesses to adapt to new forms of web traffic. Elements such as mobile responsive design are absolutely essential: if mobile users cannot properly view or navigate your website due to its design, they’re likely to look for solutions elsewhere.

A professional web creation platform such as Editor X helps businesses develop adaptive websites with intuitive navigational elements. Whether it be optimal positioning of navigation menus or a more fluid website in general, these web design elements are incorporated into every web design created on the Editor X platform.

User experience impacts search engine visibility

As mentioned prior, users who arrive on your website but have difficulty using it will naturally look to other businesses for solutions. You cannot have a website in 2020 that optimises business visibility if the user experience is terrible. Just as important, user experience is a key ranking factor in search engine results.

The more your website matches the intent of a search engine user, the more likely it is to be listed in the top results for a particular query. A poor user experience can lead to negative metrics such as high bounce rates, which search engines like Google notice. In turn, your visibility in these search results can be dramatically nerfed. This of course reduces the amount of organic traffic coming to your website via search.

Optimising a website design for user experience is critical to ensuring the best performance possible. Click here for some tips on how to do that.

Well-designed websites create sales & leads

Most businesses want to cultivate a variety of leads, conversions and sales in any situation. It obviously shouldn’t be any different with a website, so why not utilise a web design that complements these efforts?

A variety of content management systems (such as WordPress, Drupal and Joomla) make it easy to employ a wide variety of out-of-the-box themes. When coupled with plug-ins, businesses can integrate an assortment of elements designed to earn subscriptions, collect information, display products and generate sales. An outdated website design may not possess these features, so an upgrade in 2020 is definitely worth the investment.

Your online image impacts perceptions

Last but not least, it is vital to remember that a brand’s image can have a huge impact on long-term success. How people perceive you at first glance can have lasting impressions, so why would it be any different for your website?

Ultimately, an out-of-date website design can give people any number of bad impressions. From thinking your business may be behind the times or otherwise obsolete to assuming your business isn’t trustworthy, nobody can afford to make these impressions due to simple design flaws.

Make the right investments and ensure your website leaves the right impressions with those who encounter it. The sheer cost and time involved in such an upgrade will quickly be paid for through the avoidance of potential client/customer losses.

There are numerous reasons to commit to a new website design in 2020. Whether you’re focused on making the right impression or maximising your ROI, these examples merely scratch the surface in terms of benefits that your business can enjoy by upgrading its design.