Web Development: The Value of Design Quality

We can all agree that design quality is important. But how important is it really? Aren’t we just talking about graphics and visual interest?

Quality web design is so much more than aesthetics and visual appeal. Let’s take a quick look at a few reasons why web design quality is more than meets the eye.

1. Your First Impression

People make assumptions about your business within the first few seconds of visiting your website. Before they’ve read a word, they’re forming opinions about your site, brand, and business. In less than five seconds, your visitors sense whether they like what they see. And more than anything else, it’s design that affects their first impression.

The cliche is as true as ever: You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Your website is frequently the first interaction people have with your business. Quality web design gives you the opportunity for some instant appeal. Your site’s design is often the difference between visitors staying on your site or reaching for their back button.

Design aesthetics play a huge role in influencing prospects’ perceptions. Your visitors are scanning, skimming, and making quick assumptions. You want those assumptions to be favorable. Good design actually does that (and plenty more).

2. Communicating Quality

A well-designed website telegraphs your brand standards. It’s a model that communicates the principles of your business. If your company is a well-oiled machine, your website typically reflects it. Visitors can read into your business based on their initial perception of your site design.

A high-quality website conveys credibility and it's no secret that savvy business owners are aware of how important online credibility is this day in age. Quality, up-to-date design lets your visitors know that your business is healthy and legitimate.

High quality website design quality has a significant impact on e-commerce transactions. People have to decide whether they trust a site enough to provide their personal and financial information. One of the largest signals of trustworthiness is design quality.

If a site or checkout process doesn’t look up to par, shoppers hesitate to complete their transactions. Often, it’s design quality that’s the deciding trust factor before online purchases.

3. Customization and Distinction

Have you noticed that a lot of websites are looking more and more alike? Cookie-cutter design is taking the Internet by storm. The reason is because CMS platforms like WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace make it easy to launch a simple website based on a template.

While a lot of templates look “professional,” they certainly aren’t original. And what’s the long-term brand impact of cookie-cutter site design? The obvious answer is that these sites lack distinction. How many businesses want an indistinct online presence?

There’s nothing wrong with using a popular CMS, but it’s a good idea to change the front-end design with custom branding and visual identity. These days, quality design requires more than installing a theme template and uploading your logo.

4. Standing Out

One of the primary goals for any website is standing out online. It’s difficult enough to get noticed and just as tough to be memorable. Anyone who’s owned or managed a website knows that getting traffic is hard and engaging that traffic is even harder.

Just because someone visits your site doesn’t mean they’ll stay. They might hit their back button, return to Google, and check out your competitors. Like it or not, you’re in direct competition with everyone else on Google’s search results pages.

Your competition is constantly improving. That’s the nature of the Internet. If you’re not investing in design, you might be falling behind and handing business to the competition.

Design quality helps you stand out when people are surfing and weighing their options. It’s a competitive edge that helps you cut through the clutter, get noticed, and keep people’s attention.

5. Usability

Good design actually makes websites easier to use. With all things being equal, the site with better design feels more robust and functional. The way we see software actually influences our impressions of performance.

This leads to an improved user experience. Without getting into the fundamentals of usability, good design makes things easier to use. When things are easier and feel more robust, people spend more time on your site. More time typically leads to higher user engagement and more conversions.

6. More Leads and Sales

When you factor all this together, good design impacts your bottom line. When more people use and trust your site, you get more business at the end of the day.

We already touched on trustworthiness, but when it comes to leads and sales, nothing beats trust. Good design sends the right signals to your visitors. It’s simply easier to trust a site that looks the part.

The moral of the story is that good design isn’t necessarily about beauty. It’s about perception. Good design tells people that your website is legitimate. Design quality tells your visitors that you’re credible and trustworthy.

So make a good first impression. Communicate quality. Be distinct. Stand out, make things easier, and make more money… All with aid of good, high-quality web design.

Looking for design ideas? Check out our portfolio of web design projects we've created and developed for our clients.

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