15 Website Design Tips for London: How to Create a Profitable Business Website

Once upon a time, businesses could live (and even prosper) only on the individuals who passed by their physical storefront. Many of their customers came from references. It wasn’t enough to get them on the cover of Forbes, but it was more than enough to get them by.

Then the internet came along, and creating a website became the norm. Nothing special. Just a few images with very basic information about what you do and how to contact you.

Then, a well-known international epidemic altered everything even more. What used to be done at an office may now be done from anywhere there is an internet connection. Meetings evolved into Zoom calls. Grocery shopping has evolved into online ordering with quick delivery. What was formerly done for the sake of convenience has now become the norm.

With the sole goal to deliver original and quality services, Markustudio has grown rapidly, a freelance web designer in Manchester providing web design, logo branding, print, SEO and digital design services. If you need help creating a style guide or staying consistent with your branding, our team of experts is here to assist you.

In this perspective, your company website serves as your business card. It is usually your first opportunity to make a good first impression. The backbone of your marketing activities. So you can’t just slap some content together and paste it on a pretty background — especially in this day and age when so much is done online.

Why Do You Need a Business Website?

You should establish a company website for the same reasons you shop from Amazon, take an Uber ride, and book holiday lodging through AirBnB. People no longer interact in person. They use the internet to find answers, organize meetings, and purchase things.

Not only that, but even before they are ready to buy, many go online to look for answers to whatever disease they are suffering from. And when your target audience searches for what you offer on Google, you surely want to appear on the search engine results pages (SERPs). And the only way this can happen is if you have a solid business website – one that provides meaningful information and adheres to best practices in search engine optimization (SEO).

Why Web Design Strategies Are Important

In today’s digital environment, creating an effective website involves a significant amount of thinking, strategizing, and testing. This is critical given the level of competitiveness. Instead of writing primarily about what your company does, you should perform market research. Create content that is specific to the preferences of your buyer persona. Consider whether you’re designing a B2B or a B2C site.

You should also assist visitors through the buyer’s journey. Are they beginning preliminary research? You want to be the go-to industry expert. Are they weighing different options? You want to make this process as simple for them as possible. Are they prepared to buy? Oh my goodness! You definitely want to be at the forefront of their mind when they pull out their credit card. And in order for this to occur, you must be extremely strategic.

But what is the best approach? Should you build one in-house or outsource it to a design firm? What are the most effective design strategies and practices? And, really, do you need one in the first place? What if you believe that attending networking events once a week is enough to make the phone ring?

Common Errors in Website Design

With the introduction of website builders, it has become easier for businesses to create their own website. However, designing an effective website is not as simple as it appears, and it can turn out to be a costly exercise once you factor in the cost of website redesigns if you discover that it did not achieve the results you desired.

There are numerous factors that will determine whether or not your website is successful in generating leads, solving problems, increasing revenue levels, and improving your overall bottom line.

Here are a few website design blunders to avoid at all costs:

Using a Website Template That Isn’t Appropriate for Your Company’s Image.

When choosing a website design, don’t just go with the one that looks the best. It is critical to select one that not only complements your design style and color scheme, but also works well with your company image.

For example, if you offer event planning services and promise prospects fun, unforgettable parties, using a template that looks like you’re running a funeral home is probably not the best website design.

However, if you’re selling digital products like e-books or video tutorials, templates with a more artistic flair will most likely work better for your company.

No definite idea who your website visitors are

You must have a good understanding of who your website visitors will be in order to tailor the website design to their needs and desires. You should have some background information on these website visitors, such as their age, education level, income range, what website pages they are interested in, their social media usage, purchasing habits, and so on. Only then will you be able to design web pages that will effectively appeal to them.

Images that do not add value to website pages are displayed.

Many website owners make the mistake of uploading low-resolution images in the mistaken belief that it makes no difference. In reality, if this causes your site to load slower, it can be detrimental to its performance. In fact, it may cause users to become frustrated and visit a competitor’s website instead.

Images should be compressed to ensure fast load times. Nothing should be bigger than 1MB. Save them in JPEG format, which loads faster than PNG. And don’t include images just for the sake of having them. Choose them with a goal in mind, such as highlighting product features, company culture, or anything else that is relevant to your business.

Aside from avoiding these common pitfalls, you should also take the time to implement best practices in website design.

15 Best Practices and Web Design Tips for Business Websites

While most businesses try to stand out from the crowd by developing a one-of-a-kind website, certain elements should be implemented consistently.

1. Establish a Budget

The costs of creating a business website vary greatly. It will all depend on your requirements: Will you use templates or create a custom site from the ground up? The number of pages, interactive content, functionalities, and whether or not you want to include eCommerce are all factors to consider.

Make a thorough list of everything your site should include, then determine whether you have a reasonable budget for it. That’s fantastic. If you do not, you should still discuss your requirements with web designers and developers in order to find viable alternatives. Whatever you do, don’t skip website design because you have a limited budget. Make the best of what you have.

2. Purchase a Domain Name

The name of your website is represented by a domain name (aka your web address). Buying it will prevent others from using it, whether it exactly matches your business name or you got a little more creative with it. It is available for purchase from any domain name registrar (GoDaddy, BlueHost, Network Solutions, DreamHost, HostGator, and Domain are some popular ones). When selecting a registrar, consider all costs (including upsells and hidden fees), as well as ease of use and customer support.

3. Obtain an SSL Certificate

All of your website visitors should have confidence in the security of your website. This is especially true if you have landing pages and forms that require full names and contact information, as well as eCommerce pages that require credit card numbers and mailing addresses.

A Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate protects online transactions by encrypting data at rest as well as in transit. This prevents unauthorized third-party access to or interception of user data.

4. Design Wireframes

Many individuals create websites without using wireframes. However, they frequently waste time switching between the design, content, and development teams. Investing in a wireframing tool (or simply drawing them on a notebook) will assist everyone working on the website in visualizing the layout of each page, allowing the process to run more smoothly.

5. User Experience Design Layout

User experience (UX) is crucial. This refers to how a website visitor perceives your website as they interact with it. This could range from being ecstatic to have found a solution to their problems to being frustrated by a difficult navigation. Every page should be designed with the goal of enticing visitors to stay on your website as they progress through the sales funnel.