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How Responsive Web Design is Capable of Boosting your Profits

webfoot-responsive-websiteYou may very well be familiar with the concept of responsive web design whereby your website becomes easy to navigate if you are using a smartphone. Well, even though Google now insists on you having this version if you do not want to be hit by a ranking penalty, there are still a number of other reasons as to why you should seek to use this kind of web design for your business. However, we are going to focus on one key area here, how it is going to be able to boost your profit.

1. It shows you care.

The first reason why it is going to boost your profits is because research has shown that 48% of individuals who were surveyed said that if a website was not effectively mobile ready then they were of the opinion that the company did not care about them. This then made them feel as if they should go elsewhere to a company that wanted their message to be read by everybody and anybody. In other words, virtually 1 in 2 people would go elsewhere with this damaging your profits.

2. The statistics do not lie.

According to an Econsultancy survey report, 62% of businesses that were polled saw a rise in their profits simply by introducing a responsive web design. Now, this is no coincidence and indeed it shows the power and we are not even talking about a slight increase in their profit margins either as the average was an increase of more than 60%.

3. Some companies report a higher increase.

While over 60% sounds impressive, what is even more impressive are the figures that were attained by some companies just by introducing a responsive web design. For example, Webundies.com reported an increase of 169%. Think Tank Photo saw an increase of 180% and their sales via mobile devices, which also includes tablets, were actually higher than those by a desktop or laptop computer. However, the most impressive statistics comes from O’Neil clothing where they saw an increase of over 300% on Android devices and over 112% on Apple devices after introducing a new responsive web design.

4. Brand awareness is going to increase.

We have shown how companies report a huge increase in their sales just by making sure that their website has a responsive design included in it, but other studies have shown that it is not just the profit margin that is going to increase but also general awareness of your brand. Indeed, a study conducted in the UK showed that, on average, there was an increase in brand awareness of some 30% and that is important. Why is it important? Simply because if people are aware of you existing then they are more likely to buy from you at some point in the future.

5. Mobile usage is only going to increase.

There is a reason why Google have introduced changes to the way in which they rank websites when searches are carried out via a mobile device and that is because of the fact that they are aware of the increase in the number of people using these devices. Just as you were aware of the way in which you needed to have a website due to missing out on a huge market called the Internet, the exact same thing is happening with responsive web design and your website being viewed on mobile devices. If you miss out, then you are going to be losing a lot of business.

6. Conversion rates are increasing.

When we talk about conversion rates, what we are referring to is the number of people that actually purchase something on a website per 100 visitors. Now, it is impossible for you to get anywhere near 100% as that just does not happen and you might be unaware of just how low the percentage actually is. However, conversion rates with both smartphones and tablets are catching up with conversion rates for laptops. The latest stats showed that laptops generally converted at 3.11% while tablets were 2.59% and smartphones 1.01%.

What we are trying to show here is that there is a real need for you to be aware of why you must have that responsive web design for your business because you are missing out on a huge percentage of the market and those individuals will just go to your competitors. Now, we are not saying that you will have the same percentage increase as the likes of O’Neil, but generally speaking there is no doubt that your sales will increase and, as a result, so will your profit margin.

This is an area that is rapidly evolving and with us becoming ever more reliant on this type of technology, and the way in which we are always on the go, there is no doubt that not taking advantage of this would be an absolute sin.

Can Your Design Actually Prevent You Making Sales?

webdesignWe are all used to hearing that the correct web design is going to really make or break your website and that is something that cannot be disputed. However, right now we are going to look at another point that should be taken into consideration, can your design actually prevent you from making sales?

This in itself is an interesting question as it is a point that is often overlooked and that in itself is wrong. To be fair, we are talking more about modern designs rather than things that were the norm a number of years ago and it is all linked to the ever increasing number of tools that are available to the average designer.

Perhaps the main issue is that design can, at times, get in the way of functionality and that is where the problem can develop. It is all fair and well having a nice looking website, but if people are unable to get to where they want to go, or do what they want to do, then is there any point to it in all honesty?

There is also this constant belief that you must have a website that is ‘cool’ and this is one thing that can often get in the way of producing a website that is actually capable of converting and leading to sales. Now, is that not a bit crazy for the focus to be on having something that looks nice rather than having something that actually makes you money?

So the question now is, what designs actually cause an issue?

Too Much Animation.

Using animation on a website is something that has become more popular, but our advice is certainly that less is more. The problem with animation is that it can slow down a page and also act as a distraction. You want people to be able to browse without having them sitting there wondering what is going to happen next and that is a major issue with using animation. We are not saying to avoid it completely, but just think carefully about what it actually does add to your website.

 

Trying To Be Too Clean.

Another issue is when the designer is trying to be too clean with the website. Now, the last thing that we want is to have a website that is all over the place and messy, but the problem with trying to be too clean is that it can often lead to things being hidden such as the navigation. People really do not mind seeing a menu bar on a website. In actual fact, it is expected to be there so hiding it away just to make something look more minimalist should not be high on your list of priorities.

 

Having No Actual Call To Action.

One part of the design that can often be missing, and this is the crazy part, is that there is no actual call to action on the website. This really is just madness because you want to have something up there that will tell people that they need to take some kind of action whether it be to contact you, make an appointment online, or to complete that sale. If this is missing, then your website becomes just an information portal and that is one major reason why it will not then convert.

 

Having A Website That Loads Too Slowly.

The final point we are going to make is that if your website loads too slowly, then you have a major problem. It has been shown that a one second delay in your website loading can result in a drop in conversions of 7%. The difficulty here is that you never know which browser or device the person is going to be using and you also have no idea how powerful their computer is. What this means is that you could be making life so much harder for yourself by trying to be too clever with your site making it very heavy and slow to load. Just look at it this way, if it is slow to load, then people will simply click off and go elsewhere and you then have absolutely no chance of converting them.

Basically, what we are saying is that there are several important factors that must be taken into account when you are designing a website and do not allow yourself to be drawn into some kind of competition where your visitors are always going to be the losers. Do yourself a favor and spend some time studying what others are doing and model yourself on their website as there is a fine line between being too boring and too over the top.

Finally, do not be afraid to voice your disapproval of something that your web designer has come up with as it is better doing that than being left with a website that you hate. Remember, if you hate it, then there is a good chance that your visitors will as well and that alone will have a major impact on your conversion rates.

The Importance Of Designing According To The Business

It is a good idea to look in more detail at the thought that must go into the design of a website outwith the obvious talents of the designer themselves. It can no longer be enough to just have a site that pops out of the screen whenever an individual lands there because the days of the actual design itself being the most important aspect are now long behind us. Instead, people are used to seeing cool things on sites and this has meant that functionality and content takes precedence.

Web Design TrendsIn other words, what your website is about is the key way to not only keep people on your site, but also to encourage them to contact you.

Looking At Industry Specific Websites

Let us take the example of a law firm to really explain what is meant by us looking at the importance of design according to an actual type of business.

Whenever people are actively going onto the Internet and searching for a law firm, they have a very specific reason in mind for venturing onto a site. They are not interested in a fancy design that really manages to showcase the talents of the designer. They prefer to fully understand what the website is about and whether or not the law firm in question will be able to help them.

What this means is that there has to be a clear understanding between both the client and designer right from the outset and communication between the two throughout the developmental stage is essential.

For our law firm, there would be a number of key components that simply cannot be missing from the site. First, there would need to be a detailed bio because, after all, the people going to the site would want to learn as much as they could about the law firm before contacting them.

There would also need to be a number of ways to contact them and that these contact details should  be easy to find at all times. There should also be links from the site to external websites that help to strengthen the confidence in the lawyer, so official accreditation in some way is another item that needs to be included in the design.

The quality of content is also extremely important as it needs to be both clear and concise so that the visitor gets everything that they need from the visit. By doing this, you will make it more likely that they will then take some form of action and that has to be the ultimate aim with pretty much any website.

Other Ways In Which The Business Shapes The Website

Of course the ways in which the business, or industry, shapes and moulds a website does vary a great deal. Think about a restaurant. Does the person visiting the website want to see a fancy and elaborate design for the menu? Not really, because they just want to know what is on the menu in order to decide if they wish to make a booking.

The same can be said for websites that have been designed for businesses in the construction industry. If a designer wants to create something elaborate, then they are going off on their own adventure because the main thing for this type of website is that the visitor can learn about the experience and qualifications of the company, if they are insured, and see examples of their previous work. Nothing else matters apart from those things. As long as the website is easy to use and they can get the information that they need, then that is all that is required.

The point that is being made here is that business owners need to take more of a vested interest in their website and to have more in depth discussions with web designers prior to any work being started. Yes, there has to be an acceptance that the designer knows what they are doing from a technical point of view, but you as the business owner should have a better understanding of the key  things that people look for from you.

It is impossible for the designer to fully understand every single type of business and industry. They  may be able to take an educated guess, but if there is a lack of communication, then there is a greater chance of the client being unhappy with aspects of the site once it is nearing completion.

As we said at the start, the days of the design being the number one thing to grab attention have gone. Now, people need to understand that the viewing public want other things as the novelty of being able to view websites wore off years ago. The key is in delivering what the visitor wants and doing so in an easy fashion.

If you are thinking about getting a new website, or re-designing an old one, then talk to the designer and stress what you want in your site. A good web design company will be more than willing to listen and if you find that you are in this position, then contact us now to arrange a member of our team to discuss your exact needs to give you the site you deserve.

 

Designing Websites For The Golden Generation

Should you take the golden generation into consideration when you are designing a website? The short answer here is of course you should and in actual fact it is now essential that you think about the age range of people that could view your site when it is being designed. Studies have shown that  the part of the market in the United States of people over the age of 55 using the Internet is now roughly equal in size to the number of people that own an iPhone. Now, do you feel that your website can ignore them?

Website AccessibilityThe problem here is that people are often guilty of thinking about producing a website that is spectacular on the eye and full of seriously cool things and with social media icons plastered all over. However, even although this may very well look nice from a design point of view, we need to think about the practical aspect of a website when taking into consideration this golden generation.

A Simple Layout Is King

First, the layout. There is no doubt that a nice, clean, simply layout is the best option. It is important  that you get your message across, but never overfill the homepage in particular because too much info from the outset is not going to do you any favors. Instead, break it up into useful sections on various pages and you will get a far better response.

Think About Fonts

You need to remember that, as we get older, our eyesight tends to not be as good as it used to be. What this means from a design perspective is that those crazy fonts could lead to problems for you. Keep it clean, although remember clean does not have to mean boring, and avoid using too many small font sizes either or you will find that people will feel that there is no point in them staying on your site.

Make Buttons And Links Bigger

Due to both eyesight and a reduction in what is known as motor control, which is a fancy way of talking about your ability to co-ordinate between your eyesight and hand movements. From a design perspective it means that you should increase the size of the buttons and links on your site just to make life that bit easier.

Keep Forms And Signups Simple

If you require people to sign up for an account for your site, say for example if you have an ecommerce website, then keep the form as simple as possible. Too many boxes and options can just be confusing and this is something that has to be avoided. Make life easy by limiting the information that you require or at least offer an easy to understand explanation of the details you want and the reasons behind it. A long form may look impressive, but is there any point to it if people are unable to complete it?

Make Contacting You Clearer

People need to know how to contact you, but it should also not be hidden away in a corner. Make the different contact options as clear as possible so that it cannot be missed as you will tend to find that people with less confidence in using the Internet will indeed have more questions. If they struggle to see how they can get answers to them, then it will lead to them clicking off and moving elsewhere instead.

Remember The Experience With Technology

However, even when you take everything above into consideration it is still vitally important that you remember their experience with technology. This becomes even more important when you push the age further and discover that more people over the age of 70 are now using the Internet and this entire idea of talking to people around the world in an instant is completely new and baffling.

Never assume that everybody that is viewing your website is an absolute expert with technology as that is not the case. Instead, it is best to always think of them as having the same limited knowledge and design your website around that.

Your designer will be able to advise you on the best course of action to take with your site because there is of course an understanding that some sites are promoting services, products, or ideas that are specifically aimed at the younger generation. This does mean that the advice above does not always apply, but at least knowing that there is a problem is a good step forward.

Only thinking about the younger generation is a major error on your part and even though it is impossible to predict how much revenue you are missing out on the mere fact that you are allowing any part of your market to pass you by is a real mistake. It only requires slight changes to what you are doing now, but those changes are important, so contact your web designer and ask their advice because exclusion is a bad thing unless it is for specific reasons of course.

 

2015 Image Design Trends

It is easy enough to look at website design trends and to then determine how you can shape your website accordingly, but it is often the case that one important area is overlooked. What are the images going to be like?

2015 Designs TrendsYep, even images have trends with how they look and where they are placed on your site and in the eyes of many they are what is responsible for making your website pop. So, what can we expect in 2015?

Big And Beautiful

The first thing is that there is a trend for a site to have at least one image that is both big and beautiful at the same time. This main image has to be a real show stopper and will really dominate the home page and you are helped here by the fact that the quality of these larger images just continues to improve.

The use of stock image websites will make life easier for you to find the perfect one for your website as they have millions of images covering such a wide range of topics. Go for the highest resolution possible for the size that you need to really wow your visitors from the moment that they hit your website.

The Use Of Semi-Flat Design

2013 saw the emergence of flat design images, but in 2015 we are looking at semi-flat being where it’s at. The entire idea here is that the image creates a kind of 3D effect on your site along the sides while the actual image itself stays flat to the page. This is mainly being done with buttons and drawn graphics rather than photographs, but it is certainly quite effective with the look that it creates.

Try using this approach for those links to your social media pages or logos just to give your site that extra lift and bring it to life.

Creating An Experience Through Rich Content

Using rich content to really produce an experience for the visitor to your website might use up a substantial amount of your budget, but it can offer them something completely different from the norm.

The idea is to produce longform articles that include a lot of media, either images or even video clips with narration, in order to really put across certain points. This is aiming to replace the usual form of long articles as it is known that breaking it up visually makes it easier for an individual to remember the information and to process it accordingly.

The Use Of Typography

Mixing typography with images is big in 2015. However, great care has to be taken over the forms of text that you use because big and bold is better than small and old. If you thought that you were limited to the likes of Aerial or Times New Roman, then you are wrong. Instead, go for something unique that ties in perfectly with your website and what it is all about.

Do not be afraid to use something different and make it big so that it grabs their attention as soon as they land on your site and use a variety of fonts just to spice things up a bit. If you thought that the text on your website had to be plain and boring, then you are going to be stuck in 2014 rather than 2015.

The Use Of Hand Drawn Illustrations

Hand drawn illustrations have been around in the world of Internet marketing for some time, but now it has made the leap into actual websites that the general public are going to check out. They might be difficult to produce, although obviously help is at hand, but there is no doubt that they really do grab the attention because are we not all fascinated by animation?

We are not talking about something along the lines of a Pixar movie, but rather shortish clips that has some simply drawn illustrations that manage to press home the point that you are trying to make. However, we recommend that you do not overdo this on your website as it could end up looking quite cheap and boring.

The Use Of Background Video

If you thought that it was just about still images, then think again. Instead, 2015 is going to see an increase in the use of background video on websites and this is possible thanks to people having better Internet connection so there is less lagging.

The cool thing about using video is that it really does bring your website to life in a brand new way and with it playing in the background it also feels as if it is less intrusive. However, as with other forms of media it is always better if you do not overdo it because then you could be looking at a few issues for people that perhaps have not caught up with the modern day broadband speed.

There is no doubt that, from a design perspective, 2015 is going to be quite exciting. Technology is still improving and as can undoubtedly look forward to some pretty cool websites being produced. Make sure that you are not left behind with your own website and get some professional advice on how to spruce it up and bring it up to the modern day. Give us a call now to arrange one of our team to discuss your needs.