The COVID-19 onslaught has undoubtedly affected brick and mortar retailers. With Debenhams appointing administrators for the second time within a year recently, many believe that we are seeing yet another blow to Britain’s high street. The question now is not whether there is retail opportunity out there; it is where the opportunity lies.
As COVID-19 continues to re-engineer our way of life, many businesses have taken to setting up a digital storefront. With this new influx of online storefronts, the time is now to reconsider the importance of good web design.
What’s the point of good web design?
Gradually as more businesses transition to the internet, the competition for attention from their target audience increases. Especially during uncertain times such as this, your online presence is vital for your business to continue thriving.
As customers become increasingly discerning and savvy, it is important for websites to address their interests and desires. In this blog, I’ll be talking about the importance and reasoning behind web design. Your website can be a powerful tool if used correctly to help you get through these uncertain times.
Design is not just what you see, it’s also about how the product is used.
User Experience (UX) is not just a buzzword
User experience is the term used to describe how the user interacts with a website. When a website is being designed it is imperative that you consider the user experience. Especially now that this is the one place that you’ll be relying on to keep your business alive during the Covid-19 crisis.
Every aspect of your website creates the user experience, from the design, content and the users journey from point A to B. A good user experience translates to a loyal customer and higher conversion rates.
How do you make sure that your website has good UX?
Are you making your website accessible for everyone?
Your website needs to be accessible to everyone, whether it be those with visual/hearing impairments or different devices.
Challenge and analyse all decisions made
Review decisions with others and challenge one another on the choices made. Everyone perceives information and logic differently. Designing pathways should be able to cover most eventualities and thought processes. Your colleagues may be able to spot something that you have overlooked before.
Your landing page banner is your store front. Make it shine!
In a brick and mortar retailer, the storefront often provides a glimpse of the fantastic offers and new products that customers can buy in the shop. This changes periodically to consistently attract customers.
When you are online, the landing page banner is your virtual storefront. As the UK continues to retain strict social distancing measures, it is important to maintain an attractive and impactful landing page banner to attract visitors.
When creating a landing page banner, it is important to remember what your key objectives are – Are you having a sale? Do you have a new arrival of stock?
Avoid making it too busy as your main focus point should be the call to action. There is one common rule used by all designers/photographers and artists when they want to direct the user’s attention to one specific subject, this is known as the rule of thirds. If you want to direct attention to the call to action, make sure that your target subject is covering 1/3 of the banner. This brings us to the next point.
Make sure your design is relevant to the audience
Design matters because it helps narrate your company’s story, engages your users and provides them with an enjoyable experience.
Know what type of design is appropriate for your business and consider the amount of content that you have. If your website heavily relies on content, the decision here would be to go for a simple and minimalistic design as we do not want to distract the user from the main information.
Do not underestimate the power of testimonials
Testimonials and customer reviews add credibility to your website, they give visitors a non-biased view about the services/products you are offering. Testimonials are a great way to help the user make a decision if they’re slightly unsure.
Furthermore, it also provides you valuable insight on where you can improve in terms of your product and service offerings.
Don’t lose sight of the priorities of your target audience
All businesses have their target audience. The most successful websites often respond to what the businesses’ target customers need. As circumstances continue to shift during uncertain times, it pays to keep customer behaviour in the front of your priorities as it gives you an insight into how to design your website according to their needs.
If you need support, our integrated team is on hand to provide expertise or, simply, a fresh pair of eyes, drop us a message.
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