Website Development and Design

What’s in a website? Perhaps not surprisingly, the answer is...a lot! 

Consider this: for many of your customers, your website is their first interaction with your company, and we all know the importance of first impressions. A visually-appealing, user-friendly site that educates and informs about your company and the products or services you offer can help you make the right first impression with members of your target audience.

So, what goes into building a better website? Here are some of the key things you’ll want to consider.

SEO- You may think of SEO, or search engine optimization, as just another trendy business buzzword, but creating a search-friendly website can go a long way toward boosting your organic traffic, leading to more conversions and resulting in more revenue for your business. Plugging in the most search-friendly keywords to drive organic search engine traffic, however, is something of an art form. A lot goes on behind the scenes to determine the keywords with the highest search potential, and it’s in your best interest to make sure whoever builds your website is bringing a great deal of SEO expertise to the table. 

The Google algorithm is a constantly-changing formula to help keep websites honest in their SEO practices. Use of “black hat” practices, such as keyword stuffing, is a rookie mistake that can result in your website being penalized by Google and other search engines. Hiring an SEO expert who has a deep understanding of how to leverage SEO to your advantage without  resorting to black-hat tactics can help save you from a number of foundational mistakes that can cost you dearly in the long run.

Custom-Built vs. Theme-Built Websites

You may have noticed a number of popular site-building platforms, such as WordPress and Wix, that offer themes or templates on which to build your website. This plug-and-play method can be low cost, or free in some cases, allowing small businesses and startups an opportunity to have a good-looking website on the cheap.

While this is a good solution for the short-term, eventually you’ll want to consider hiring a web design expert to custom-build a website for your company. Not only can this help you improve upon user experience, which can lead to greater brand loyalty, superior customer service, and a higher conversion rate. By creating a custom website, the designer can address the specific needs of both your organization and your customers, leading to a more user-friendly experience overall. 

Responsive Design

Did you know that over 90 percent of the global population uses a mobile device to search the Internet? It’s true- according to Statista, 4.28 billion people currently own and use mobile devices. With so many people accessing the Internet through smartphones and tablets, it’s critical to have a website design that is optimized for both desktop and mobile use. That’s where responsive design comes in.

Responsive website design is the practice of developing a site that is able to switch automatically to accommodate virtually every screen where it may be viewed. Image size, resolution, and scripting abilities are able to transition seamlessly between laptop to smartphone or tablet, iOS to Android, and more. This new advance in website development is on pace to become even more essential as different devices are invented and introduced to the public over the next five years.

Designing your own website is possible, thanks to pre-made templates, but what you save in the short-term may cost your business dearly in the long run. By hiring a website design expert from the start, you can have peace of mind that your site gives your business every possible advantage to help you gain and retain new customers.