How Web Design Impacts Your SEO, Branding and Conversion Rates

Most businesses would agree that having a great web design is important. The question is do you actually know why it’s so important? When it comes to developing a digital marketing strategy, many businesses compartmentalize the process; having one agency design the site and another build the marketing infrastructure.  Web design is way more than just looking great. At the core are elements and other factors that have a huge impact on your local SEO strategy, branding, and conversion rates.

By merging the web design process with your overall inbound marketing strategy, you set your business up for long-term success. Instead of just seeking a great-looking design business owners need to start asking a deeper question. What is the impact that my website and its design will have on the success of my online marketing efforts and business as a whole?

Your Design Counts

In a research study entitled, Trust and mistrust of online health sites, users were asked why they mistrust a website. 94 percent of comments were directly related to web design elements, while only 6 percent referenced specific content. They also record specific elements that caused red flags for them when it came to their trust in a website.

• Busy or complex layouts
• Pop-up advertisements and flamboyant ads
• Small print that’s hard to read
• Boring web design/lack of color
• Slow website intros and load times

Content Is A Big Deal

While many users look to design elements for trust, content is vital when it comes to delivering your brand’s message and your local SEO efforts. When it comes to users, the content you give to them and how that content is displayed plays a big role in whether or not they will continue to engage. People want informative, relevant, and easy-to-digest content. By making your users happy, the search engines will be happy as well. Not to mention the crawlers like to know that your content actually matches the keywords for which you are looking to rank.

Web Design SEO Relationship

SEO is a long-term strategy and must be approached with this in mind. (Tweet This) There are a number of factors that influence your rankings and many of them have to do with your website itself.  It’s easy to want to jump on web design trends but before selling out, you need to examine the relationship between your design and your local SEO strategy.  What may look and feel cool now, may bring a hefty penalty later.  Everything matters, from the structure of your HTML to the widgets on the page.

Power of Branding

Building your online brand is essential in today’s digital marketing world. This year Google has added weight to branding in its search algorithm. Your website is meant to build trust with your audience and promote your brand. Using your site to develop the correct perception of your brand will increase trust and in the long run build your credibility. Consumers are more likely to do business with brands they trust.

Improve Conversion rates

What good is a lot of traffic if it doesn’t convert? (Tweet This) The way you design your website has a direct correlation to its conversion rates. The goal of any good inbound marketer is to convert the traffic they get. This can be done in a number of ways but the big 3 are navigation, CTA’s, and your color scheme.

• Navigation: Keep it simple. Make sure they it’s easy for your visitors to get to where you want them to go!
• CTA’s: A Call-To-Action should be exactly that. Do A/B testing to see what type of wording your visitors convert with the most.
• Color: Everything communicates. By understanding what your color scheme is communicating, you create a feel for your visitor that entices them to continue to engage with you.

In order to be successful online, it is important to understand and embrace that your website and its design play a huge role in the overall effectiveness of your local SEO strategy, branding, and conversion of your site’s visitors.  There is no one solution for all because every industry and market is different.  What may work for a web design in Melbourne FL  would not work in Atlanta. It’s important to do your research, understand your buyer persona, and create a web design with purpose.