To compete today, your business must have a web presence. And your site has to look good and work well. It used to be...

Tips to Improve Website Design & Development
If you’re a business owner, you should have a website (and if you don’t, then we need to have a serious conversation). You might be using this valuable tool to its fullest potential, updating it on a daily basis and tweaking its design to keep it fresh. Or, perhaps you’re like most business owners I come across, and you put up your site a decade ago and then forgot all about it. If that’s the case, then this is the article for you.
The design and development of a website can help make or break a business.
Most people understand that having a website for their business is important. However, many people don’t know what makes a website effective. These tips will help you assess your online presence and give you ideas on ways to improve the development and design of your business website.
Know Thy Brand
When starting a new business, most entrepreneurs have a product and a target market, but many don’t grasp how to best brand their business. Branding should be clear and consistent across all marketing channels, including those online. Your business website is a fundamental part of building a strong online presence.
Effective branding uniquely positions your business in the marketplace, attracting and retaining customers.
Branding is not just a matter of quickly slapping together a logo. Branding requires really understanding your product, service, and company mission. Effective branding helps customers identify and connect to your company and your product. Branding includes your company name, logo, tagline, website design, social media marketing, and more. Lastly, developing a clear branding strategy is an essential part of building your business.
Make a Good First Impression
Remember the last time you went to a junky looking website. What did you do? Well, studies show that you (and the majority of people) hit the back button after 10 to 20 seconds. Of course you did. If a website isn’t visually inviting and easy to navigate, site visitors (aka: potential customers) will quickly leave and never return.
Within a few seconds, a site visitor is drawing conclusions about your business and deciding whether to explore or abandon your website.
We live in the digital age where a website builds credibility. It shows customers that you’re professional, trustworthy, and established. A shoddy looking website does not inspire confidence in the customer that your product or service is going to be high-quality. Let your website reflect the strength of your business and spend the time to make it right.
It’s like your mother always told you, first impressions are critical. There’s an easy solution. Make a good online impression with a well-organized, professional website that showcases your product or service.
Increase Your Web Visibility
Having a well-designed, visually appealing, user-friendly website is just the first step. The second step is ensuring your business is visible on the web. Having an active, engaging social media presence will help with online visibility. But you also need to be easily found on search engines like Yahoo, Bing, and Google.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps ensure a website is seen when people search for related keywords. Effectively designed websites incorporate current SEO best practices. However, you also need to ensure your website content appeals to your demographic and includes strategic keywords. Social media marketing can also help support your website’s visibility through specific, targeted posts and engagement.
Exceptional websites are thoughtfully designed, strategically optimized, and offer valuable content to attract and interest your target market.
It is crucial for business owners to have an online presence to market their products or services. In order to succeed in today’s competitive marketplace, a business needs to have an effective online presence through strong branding and exceptional web design. A great website is easy to navigate and visually appealing to attract potential customers from all over the world.
At Whitbeck Web, a full service web design company, our team of professionals will help ensure that your company’s website and branding are uniquely tailored for your business and effectively reach your targeted audience.
Your website is like your baby. If you take the time to nurture it, you’ll see results in dividends. If you neglect it, you’ll be wasting endless potential for growing your business. Why throw away your most valuable tool? Take the time to design and develop your business’ website or hire a trusted professional to build it for you. You’ll get back so much more than you put in.