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.
In 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.
