05 Mar 5 Reasons Your Business Should Use Design
1. Design helps consumers decide.
Let’s face it, when buying products looks do matter. When I’m walking down the aisle of a grocery store looking for a nice bottle of wine with a million different brands in front of me, how will I choose? I know I prefer Chardonnay, but other than that I’m no wine expert and therefore, I am going to choose the first bottle I see that visually appeals to me the most. According to Marketingprofs.com, at least a third of product decision making is based on packaging, along with personal preferences.
2. Design increases web sales.
Have you ever done a Google Search and clicked on the title of the website that meets exactly your needs, but were astonished when you get to the page and it looks terrible. You were committed to buying but then think, “I can’t trust this site with my credit card information!” Consumers will not use your website if it does not look up-to-date and secure. Having a modern website design with clearly emphasized security settings are a sure way to increase your web sales.
3. Design grows your brand awareness.
A consistent brand identity will grow your brand awareness. The more places your brand is seen, the more consumers will began to recognize and trust it. But what if they see a giant billboard with your logo on it and then go to the URL on the billboard only to find no logo, no color similarity, and no relationship whatsoever to the advertisement they saw on the billboard? Most likely, they will immediately leave your website and assume something went wrong. Brand consistency will ease the consumers’ mind that they are in the right place and are giving their business to the brand they trust.
4. Design guides the user’s experience.
Design can guide the user through the steps you want them to take on your website. This is called User Experience Design, or UX design. Design elements like layout, color, typography, and call to actions all direct users where to go. If a customer can’t find the information they are looking for or how to contact you, how will they buy your product or service?
5. Design defines your personality and what you do.
Let me use logo design as an example here. Say you are a new frozen yogurt shop in town and on your brand new store front you slap a very expensive outdoor sign that says your business name, “Twisty Treats”, but it looks like it’s from the 80s with a clipart picture of a monkey, a boring font, and dull colors. The name gives insight to what kind of business you are, but the design would not make me think of having a delicious frozen treat and a fun time with my family. A person could drive by looking for froyo and completely pass your shop because they don’t understand what you’re selling. Design communicates the experience you want your customers to have.