Designing a website that will attract and appeal to your ideal customer requires the successful execution of several factors. You not only have to get the attention of your target audience, but you also have to grab the attention of the major search engines – or you will be missing out on a rich source of traffic.

As you prepare to design – or redesign – your website, keep the following questions in mind.

• How will I attract people to my website?
• How can I best appeal to my prospective customers?
• How will I convert these prospects into clients once they reach my website?

To accomplish this you will need to build a site that looks good, is easy to use, has well written copy, and also has search engine friendly design features. Sounds like a tall order?

Achieving the Right Look for Your Website
If your website looks poorly designed, you might get people to visit but they'll turn away in droves once they are unable to navigate your content with ease. Resources allocated to achieving an aesthetically pleasing and professional looking web presence is money well spent.

An experienced, competent web designer will not only keep the look and feel right, but will also design a site that will capture viewers, help you to convert them, and be search engine friendly.

Learn About What Your Customers Like
Before your designer puts ‘pen to paper', do some market research. Who are your customers? What do they like? What age group are they? What is their geographical location, sex, and hobbies? Each background demographic will have an influence on how successful your design will be in attracting and converting people.

Get to know your audience and give them what they want. If you need help, look for inspiration on successful sites in your field. What do they do that works well? How might you improve on it?

Key Design Features
One of the best ways to make your website more successful is by making it distinct, appealing, relevant, and accessible. Consider the following vital design elements:

• Branding – Your website should reflect your company's image.
• Colours – Select a colour scheme that will appeal to your target audience.
• Images – Choosing the right pictures can be a great way to tell a story without words.
• Content Layout – Prioritise your messages and layout your content accordingly.
• Considerate Navigation – Make your content easy to access, from anywhere on your site.
• Animations – Moving images can really help, but remember, less is sometimes more.

In conclusion, keep in mind that first impressions count, and that setting up a sleek, well-designed, website will help ensure your company is taken seriously. Ultimately, your website should not only look impressive, it should also help you attract, appeal to and convert new customers. If you would like to review the effectiveness of your website design, call us on 08450 740068.