Website design is radically changing
Website design and digital marketing are significantly changing and evolving with time. The main reason behind these radical changes is the tools and technologies that we use for designing, and developing websites.
However, those changes are the norm, not the exception. For a business, having a proper website is simply not a luxury anymore. It is actually a necessity. This is for a variety of reasons:
- People associate the website with the legitimacy of the business.
- The business communicates not only its products and services, but it also communicates trust and the brand archetypes.
- People can consume the information about the business at their own pace and on-demand, making it the perfect vehicle for busy people that are careful about where they put their attention.
What constitutes a “good” website in our current environment?
Today a website is considered “good” if it properly advances the business objectives at a positive ROI. Technically speaking, a good website carries the brand archetypes, it is mobile responsive, it is accessible, and strikes a proper balance between loading speed and interactivity. For website design to be good, it should accomplish the creation of a website that brings value to the organization, especially in ways that other channels can’t match, primarily: interaction. Most importantly, the website should help sell the products and services of the business, paying for itself.
But there is a problem.
What is the problem with websites by themselves?
The role of websites has completely changed in the last 5-8 years. Websites used to provide an assistive role. And mobile website weren’t even a thing, they were a “preference.” In today’s business environment, mobile devices are taking a prominent role even above desktop computers. Before, people may have used the mobile phone to check availability but feel more comfortable using a full computer in order to purchase, make reservations or perform e-commerce transactions. All of that has changed: customers are perfectly comfortable purchasing from their smartphones.
The primary problem is that websites by themselves are not good at attracting new clients. Why? Because the web is growing at a brutal pace. Websites are popping everywhere and are competing not only against giant brands, but also against a growing community of smaller businesses that can reach their customers directly. So how do we stand out? Thank you for asking…
Standing out
Standing out in theory is a lot easier than it is in practice. Clearly a website without traffic is ineffective at lead generation and although can serve other purposes, it is loosing a lot of potential.
So the website itself has to be paired with an effective digital marketing strategy. Attraction strategies designed to call the attention of the target audience and bring them into the site for more information.
You may have heard of the AIDA model:
- Attention,
- Interest,
- Desire,
- Action.
The Attention is called outside of the website through a variety of tactics, but the traffic is brought into the site for generating interest, desire and action.
The second important consideration is how do you attract the attention in a way that has more permanency than just one at a time? So if I have a lemonade stand and I use a sign that says: “Delicious Lemonade here!” you’ll probably call the attention of potential customers. However, if you remove the sign, the attraction will come to a stop. But what if you create a proper brand? Every time that someone sees your sign, they create associations to your brand in a compounding effect. And now, your brand, even if small, rents a small real estate in the mind of your potential customer. Do you see how incredibly powerful this distinction is?
Obviously creating a proper brand is not an easy task. On top of that, creating, as difficult as it may be is only the beginning; being respectful of the brand guidelines is even harder to enforce.
But the in the current state of the Internet, branding and a serious approach to your competitiveness are fundamental to a successful business.
If you are a business owner and would like to explore the ways in which Merkados™ can help you stand out schedule a call or contact us today – we are here to help.
