There are several billion websites on the internet and the number continues to grow.
In your area of business, it is highly likely there are millions of similar websites, thousands nationally and perhaps hundreds locally.
A professional website design is key in becoming visible above the competition, which is easier said than done. The good thing is that there are tricks you can deploy and perfect to keep your website always visible, and make a good impression on your visitors.
Good domain name
A good domain name should be simple to remember, and closely associated with your kind of business. Your visitors should be able to keep it in mind, remember it and it should also be relevant to your area of business or the field in which you operate.
Have a favicon
This is the icon that appears in the address bar to the left of your website’s name. This is a powerful visual message of what your website is all about. On mobile phones and tablets these can sometimes be even more prominent, and an empty box with the first letter of your domain name makes your website look unfinished. This is a very minor change but it is important for professional website design.
Responsive website
In 2016, mobile web traffic overtook desktop traffic according to Google’s statistics. This has led to a shift in the way Google ranks websites. Those websites that can be viewed on mobile, smartphones and tablets are ranked higher on Google and other search engines. Use a responsive plug-in or a responsive web design theme from WordPress is critical both for your website ranking and the user experience of your clients and customers.
Beautiful theme
There are thousands of free themes on WordPress and other website builders for different categories of business and industry. Due to the low barriers of entry these days in regards to how your website looks, it’s essential to invest in a professional design that will make your website look as good as it performs on the search engines. Free themes and website builders allow you to create a great looking website, but when it comes to SEO and user experience they are severely lacking.
More visual content
Larger images and text are more engaging than text. A good example of this design is Netflix, where the main page is simple with large images leading to more content. Short videos that tell a good story about your brand are more engaging than long text articles that your visitors may not have the time to read, although these articles are great for SEO. Visual content can also help increase the appeal of your professional website design, and stylish images and good design leave a professional feel to content, regardless of what it’s about.
Search Engine Optimisation
In the past, search engine optimisation meant picking a few keywords and trying to rank for them. Today, search engines are demanding more than that. Good SEO tactics include choosing good long tail keywords and having relevant content to back these keywords. There is no substitute for informative content which your visitors can find useful in finding what they were looking for, be it information about a product or service, or more information on your brand. Good content makes your site an authority site meaning visitors will rank it highly as a trusted source in your line of business. You will then find it easier to convert these customers.