Web designers are skilled professionals with the technical and creative prowess to build websites which function fantastically and secure prominent search engine positions.
And with a whopping 87% of consumers starting their product searches on digital channels, having an effective website has become something of an essential for businesses.
So whether you’re completely new to the digital game, your site’s in need of a few tweaks or could do with a complete overhaul, here are 10 reasons you need a web designer.
1. A web designer will create a high-quality site
We live in an era where having a website couldn’t be easier – various platforms provide very economical templates. However, relying on these cookie-cutter tools will ultimately result in a site that’s boring, generic and fails to make you stand out amongst more polished competitors.
When you work with a professional web designer, they’ll create a customised site that has all the unique features you need to successfully operate your business online. And because you’re working with a pro, you can rest assured that all of the shiny new features they formulate will be fit for purpose and align awesomely with your business plans and brand persona.
2. A web designer will strengthen your online strategy
The main goal of a professional web designer is to establish a firm foundation for your site so that it prospers for years to come. To achieve this, they’ll take the time to really get to know your business – its goals, values, target audience.
Web designers use this information as a compass that guides the course of your web design project in order to create a site where every element is pointed to the ‘true north’ of your vision – the practical goals you want to achieve and the image you want to project.
In this way, a web designer has the power to significantly strengthen your online strategy by creating a powerful customer-grabbing website that’s perfectly moulded around your brand and complements your other marketing strategies.
3. A web designer will create a professional looking site
First impressions count. And when it comes to the online world, your website is the place where many consumers will form their first impression of your brand.
Employing the services of an experienced web designer ensures that the end product of your project is a gorgeous website which captivates visitors the moment they land on your site and leaves a lasting positive impression.
In case you’re underestimating the importance of aesthetics when it comes to web design, an eye-tracking study by Missouri University found that it takes users less than two tenths of a second to form a first impression of a website. So when it comes to web design, half measures and DIY hacks simply won’t cut it – you need to be working with a specialist who can make your brand a visual phenomenon that people recognise instantly and trust and favour above all others
4. A web designer will create a first-class user experience
An eye-catching website that provides an incredible user experience (UX) will convert curious visitors into prospects and paying customers who you can continue to connect with beyond their first visit to your site.
And one of the most important parts of UX is your page loading speed. Research by Google found that as a page load time goes from one to ten seconds, the probability of a mobile user bouncing (leaving your site) increases by 123%. To ensure that customers stick around, it’s therefore essential that your web pages take no more than a few seconds to load.
And further, a pro web designer will be able to build you a site with an intuitive user interface and plugins which provide increased speed and security for your site. When these factors combine, you’ve got an online business engine that loads quickly and grips visitors long enough for them to follow your CTAs (calls-to-action) and converts them to paying customers.
5. A web designer will optimise your site
You might have the most visually impressive website and incredible product selection, but if your site is not optimised for search-engines like Google, it’ll fail to secure a high ranking and end up buried beneath the superior sites of your rivals.
A professional web designer will allay these fears because they have a deep understanding of the immensely technical and ever-changing discipline that’s Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Your designer will optimise your site so that everything, down to its architecture, navigation and content layout, satisfies search engine guidelines.
With an expertly optimised site that looks the part and never fails to deliver the answers that consumers need, your business will be well equipped to compete online and bypass its rivals with ease.
6. A web designer will use responsive design techniques
A significant number of web users are now using smartphones and tablets to browse online. In the third quarter of 2019 51.51% of worldwide website traffic came from mobile devices. It’s therefore essential that your website is compatible with mobile, otherwise you’ll miss out on a substantial amount of traffic.
But a savvy web designer will go beyond merely scaling down your site to fit a smaller screen. They’ll use responsive web design techniques which modify the entire layout of a page to ensure an optimum viewing experience across all devices. For example, a responsive web page on a mobile device might display less columns of text than its desktop version in order to enhance its readability.
Responsive web design not only makes your website more mobile-friendly; it also helps future-proof it because it allows web designers to create singular fully-flexible website templates that can adapt to any screen size and device, including those that are yet to be created.
7. A web designer will save you time
Time is money in business and enlisting the services of a web designer will save you bucket loads because they’ll shoulder the responsibility for your web design project from start to finish – while you focus on the actual day-to-day running of your business.
Since web designers know the creation process like the back of their hand, they rapidly find the most effective and efficient ways of building a website and are adept at applying their skillset, intuition and creativity to your project.
Furthermore, a web designer can actually help your business to run more efficiently based on the features they include on your site. For example, if regular appointments get you flustered, a web designer could create an automated online booking system that decreases time spent on the phone and increases efficiency and precision.
8. A web designer will be an expert partner
The best web designers don’t just work for you, they work with you, serving as a trusted partner who will consult you transparently at every stage of the project so that the end project meets your expectations.
Essentially, you’ll join forces with an expert partner who can offer a fresh perspective, and suggest innovative solutions that offer you entirely new perspectives on your business. The business-web designer relationship is therefore a powerful partnership which, as an unexpected bonus, can sometimes involve aspects of business mentorship.
Furthermore, they’ll be able to make the world of web design more accessible and understandable for you by demystifying its tricky technical terms and concepts – this means you can play a more active role in your design project if desired.
9. A web designer will help you find quick solutions
If, by some miracle, you’re a web design novice who’s able to create a fantastic site and optimise it to compete online, you’ll likely still get tripped up by maintenance issues along the way.
However, if you work with a web designer, they’ll be on hand to deal with any problems and make the necessary tweaks to get your project swiftly back on track.
A competent web designer will also be able to advise you on which areas of your site can be self-managed and maintained and which need pro assistance. In fact, some web design firms even offer hosting and support services, whereby they deal with the running of your site and any problems that arise.
10. A web designer will communicate your brand message
In order to attract the right visitors, it’s important that your website conveys your business message in a clear, consistent and compelling manner. With so many factors involved in web design, this is no easy feat, no matter how well you know your brand.
But professional web designers are experienced in building brand identity and will have no problem designing you a website where everything from the font to the colour scheme and logo is on brand and aligns with and brilliantly backs up your business values.
Final thoughts on reasons you need a web developer
Your website is often the place where people first meet your brand and form a first and lasting impression – so its importance can’t be overstated.And since web design is a highly-specialised field of work that’s constantly evolving, it’s worthwhile working with a trusted pro as early as possible to ensure a firm footing for your first steps towards digital success.
