The Crucial Role of Design in Digital Marketing

The Importance of Design in Digital Marketing

It's a common saying that even the best website is useless without proper promotion and search engine optimization. However, the reverse is also true. Promoting a poorly designed website is futile. With over 125,000 online businesses launching every week, internet users are spoilt for choice. They have to sift through a sea of information to find what they need. A professionally designed website is more likely to capture their attention than a homemade one.

Key Aspects of Effective Website Design

A professional-looking website doesn't necessarily need to be packed with the latest technology, graphics, and Java applets. However, it should consider several design aspects that many homemade sites overlook:

• Fast Loading Time: Not everyone has a high-speed internet connection or a powerful processor. One common mistake is not optimizing graphics. Any image over 30KB is likely too large.

• Cross-Browser Compatibility: Websites can appear differently on various browsers and platforms. What looks great on one browser might look unprofessional on another. Websites like TheCounter provide statistics on browser usage, and AnyBrowser allows you to see how your site looks on different browsers.

• Screen Resolution Compatibility: Websites also appear differently on screens with different resolutions. A website designed on a 640x480 screen will look different on a 1024x768 screen.

• Network Restrictions: Some companies restrict internet downloads to protect their intranets. Therefore, technologies like Flash, which require plugins, might not be visible to some users.

• Proper Use of TITLE and META Tags: These tags play a crucial role in your website's search engine ranking. Surprisingly, many websites neglect these tags. More information on these tags can be found at TheWebsEye.

• Ease of Navigation: Visitors should be able to find what they're looking for with one or two clicks.

• Quality Content: The content must be good and offer a benefit to the visitor. It should be compelling enough to prompt an immediate purchase or give them a reason to return.

Tips for Improving Website Design

If you're maintaining your own website, simplicity is key. Here are some tips to enhance your site's design while maintaining a professional look:

• Use background color in tables instead of graphics to add color to your site.
• Use percentages instead of absolute values in tables for width and height values. This allows your web pages to stretch to fit the browser screen.
• Use CSS style sheets to keep your site uniform. Tutorials on how to use style sheets can be found at House of Style.
• If you're using graphics for site navigation, also include a text menu. Some search engines have problems following graphic links, and some people turn off graphics on their browsers.
• Avoid using fancy fonts that aren't supported on all browsers. Keep the fonts simple.

Finally, put yourself in your target audience's shoes. Does your site give you a reason to browse further? Strong headlines and compelling text are more important than special effects and large graphics. The best websites from a marketing perspective are often the simplest.