Your business website not only establishes your online presence, it also creates the first impression on your visitors. The website is the first point of contact between you and your potential users. In current times, the majority of businesses acquire their clients through their websites. So, you need to make sure your website is not only visually appealing, but it also offers exceptional performance. However, to ensure this, first you will need to figure out what do users value most in a website.
Is it fast performance, an eye catching design, or advanced features that engage your visitors and convert them into loyal customers? Read this blog to find your answers.
The Speed of Your Website Matters a Lot
Before your users enter your website and appreciate how attractive the design is, the first thing they will notice is the speed of your website. Regardless of how beautifully designed your website is, people do not have the patience to deal with a slow loading website. If your website does not load within a few minutes, expect your users to abandon the website and never come back again.
Fast loading speed of a website is not only about customer satisfaction, it also influences SEO rankings, conversion rates, and the reputation of your brand. If your website is slow, the visitors will consider it outdated and unprofessional. So, how can you improve the performance of a website? You can optimize images, leverage browser caching, and minimize code (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript), to begin with. Consider using a content delivery network and pick a reliable hosting. While optimizing your website for search engines, also make sure the website is a mobile responsive one.
Prioritize your website’s speed as nobody will observe when it performs well but when it is slow, it is painfully noticeable.
The Design that Expresses Your Brand’s Personality
Imagine walking into a neat, organized, and beautifully decorated store. This is the feeling a perfect web design gives to the visitors. A unique and attractive brand design is essential for building trust, brand recognition, and credibility. Create a unique, detailed, and aesthetically appealing website that creates a lasting impression on the visitors.
Now, you must be wondering what unique design feature will make my website stand out.The answer is inclusion of custom illustrations, bold typography, asymmetrical layout, and striking animators that align with the identity of your brand. Consider adding dark mode options, motion UI, or scroll-triggered effects to set your website apart from cluttered templates.
However, make sure your website is not only aesthetically appealing but functional and intuitive too. If your users cannot find a contact page or encounter difficulties in making a purchase, the attractive elements of your website will not be able to save you.
Features to Convert Visitors into Users
When your website performs well and looks stunning, users naturally will want to explore what features your website has. There comes the importance of adding advanced, user-friendly features to your business website. Wondering what the best advanced features to add to a business website are? Consider adding the following ones:
- Live chat for instant customer support
- Advanced search filters
- Customer portals for tracking orders
- Appointment scheduling tools
- AI-powered recommendations
- Interactive product demos
While integrating advanced features, prioritize them based on requirements. If your customers do not need a particular feature such as chat widget, you can skip and avoid overburdening the website. Remember, the features need to be accessible and easily usable, even for people with disabilities.
So, Which Website Element Do Users Value the Most?
Between speed, design, and features, users value all three elements, however, at different stages of their journey.
- Performance comes before anything else. If your website does not load fast, the users will immediately abandon it.
- A great design keeps the visitors engaged and interested. An appealing website design also builds trust.
- Features give users a reason to stay, convert, and return.
In other words, these three elements are not separate priorities for users, instead they are three essential pillars of building a successful business website. A collective implementation of all these three elements is essential to keep your digital presence strong. However, if you had to particularly prioritize one, performance takes the lead. Without good speed, no user will stick around to enter your website and appreciate the beautiful design and advanced functionalities.
Establishing a Balance
To create a business website that your visitors and users love, you will need to balance all the three website elements collaboratively. Here is how you can ensure this harmony:
- Begin with Speed: Make sure the website loads fast on all devices.
- Design to Impress: Create an aesthetically appealing design that reflects your brand-personality.
- Add Features to Bring Value: Focus on providing user value, instead of merely following trends.
Remember, your website is not only a marketing tool, it is all about the user’s experience that you can provide. Make sure to provide them with the best- impressive speed, great design, and advanced features that keep them hooked. Focus on earning customer loyalty, not only visitors.
Final Thoughts
As the global digital landscape is constantly evolving, so are customer preferences. Trends in design and features come and go but the need for fast, functional, and engaging websites are always the same. If you are looking to build a business website that combines speed, design and functionality for ultimate user satisfaction, we Originate Soft are here to help.
We are a team of highly skilled and experienced website designers dedicated to offering the best web design and development services to our valued clients. When you choose to partner with us, we will create a fast, aesthetically appealing, modern, and feature rich website that will attract and retain your customers. Connect with us to discuss further.