Business: How Good Web Design Can Increase Your Sales

Think about how you respond emotionally as a customer when you visit a website that is designed poorly. You might struggle to see a dark font against a dark background. The menu items and general navigation might be mixed up and confusing, adding to the amount of time it takes you to find the information you need. If the website you're visiting is for a company, they've probably created a bad first impression, one that might steer you away from doing business with them. If you're in business and you're scaring off customers seconds after they meet you, you're not going to be in business very long.

Now you see the importance of good Web design, at least from one angle -- the good first impression. When a potential customer visits your website, if you don't hook them within the first couple of seconds and make them interested enough to continue browsing around, they'll likely click the "back" button and visit another site. Good Web design from a first impression stance combines a look that is visually stimulating, as well as professional. If your design sets a nice tone to start off, you're one step in the right direction.

The next important area is navigation. You'll want to think about this as though you're a user, and you'll probably want to bring some outsiders into the mix as well in order to help you test your navigation out. When laying out where certain pages are going to be, you'll want to ask yourself two questions; is the site easy to navigate, and are the menu items where people will look for them? You don't want your "Coupons" page under your "About Us" menu, for example. You'll have to put some thought into how your navigation is designed.



Along with great visual design goes great content design, too. On pages where you're hoping to get users to click for free quotes or sign up for email newsletters, you'll want to be sure to include an eye-catching headline and a call to action that compels the users to click and complete the process. If you combine the headline and call to action in an effective way, you should convert a fair percentage of those visiting your site.

If you're a business owner, it's important that you keep this `dvice in mind. Good Web design, when paired with effective content, can help your business create a good first impression and a good continuing Web experience. When these two traits show up in front of a customer ready to do business, you'll likely be in a better position to make the sale, and sales are what keep businesses succeed.