Why you need to invest in a custom website

The day-to-day business activities are tiresome and exhausting. While your list of never-ending tasks isn’t getting any smaller, your website design should be a top priority. Custom website design can be an invaluable tool for success in your business if it has these three elements:

  1. Tells your story
  2. Leads to a fast and simple customer action
  3. Provides a unique value to make the user experience easier or more enjoyable

Telling your Story

No matter if users find you through a Google search, a paid ad, or organic content, what they see should tell the story of who your business is. Therefore, your website needs to match the story you have on your ads and social media feeds. For example, if your ads showcase a luxurious branding message, but your website is outdated with an old or misleading message, this will lead to high bounce rates and low conversions.

Investing in custom website design means implementing a cohesive message throughout your site that is undeniable to your customers and proves to them why they should buy from you and not their competitors.

Customer Actions Matters

Customer action is another way to say conversion. It’s anything you want your customers to do, whether that be purchasing a product from you, signing up for your newsletter, scheduling a consultation, etc. The bottom line is, it’s your job to ensure that your website leads to a fast and simple customer action by implementing call-to-action buttons (CTAs) strategically throughout your website is a great way to get your customers to convert.

But what makes a good CTA button? When it comes to leading your customers to action, making those messages as personal as possible has led to 202% more conversions than typical, non-personalized call-to-action buttons. 
Besides personalization, here are some things to keep in mind about CTA buttons according to SEJ:

  1. Focus on Benefits
  2. Write User-Focused Copy
  3. Address and Overcome user objections
  4. Use the soft sell

The User Experience

User experience or UX, at its core, is about how users interact with a product, and that overlaps with the digital world. According to Xd Adobe, here are some things they usually evaluate their experiences on:

  1. Value
  2. Function
  3. Usability
  4. General Impression

We at James Ross Advertising believe there is a little more to it. When it comes to custom website design, especially for eCommerce websites, it’s not just about creating a unique value for your customers, but also giving you a competitive edge through a smooth transition from screen shopping to checking out.

As an example of how exactly we do that, let’s discuss a client in the Yacht brokerage industry. Initially, there was a need for a website redesign, and they were given a fresh face. Yet, something was missing on the UX side. How do users find the exact product they’re looking for? Thus, we created a little tool we call the Yacht Shopper. A first of its kind, it allowed our clients’ customers to define what they were shopping for, and narrow down to the exact product they wanted, based on price, engine type, length, and more for their own custom dashboard for shopping ease.

Web Design matters and you don’t get it from template designs. Going custom gives you the freedom to be unique and creative in your approach to how you want people to see your business. Contact us here, and let’s discuss how we can expand your business with a custom website.

Is Your Website Mobile Friendly?

It’s a rarity to meet anyone who doesn’t have their smartphone within reach. Many people turn to their phones for online shopping, news, and information. When considering a new website for your company, it’s more important than ever to make sure it is user friendly, especially on mobile. If you’re an eCommerce company, it should be a “mobile-first” design, meaning you’re optimizing the design to work first on the phone and secondly on the desktop. Why is that? The fact is, it’s now statistically much more likely that eCommerce customers will be interacting with your website from a smartphone than a desktop. There are many reasons why you should create a mobile friendly website, we’ll touch on a few below. 

Remain accessible to all potential customers

Mobile is the go-to for over half of internet users. Smartphones are everywhere and more accessible than desktops. According to Google, as of 2019, the number of mobile website traffic outweighs that of desktop, and 63% of smartphone users are more likely to buy from you if your website offers them relevant information. By 2025, 72% of internet users will be solely using mobile According to the World Advertising Research center. You would hate to lose a customer just because they can’t access your site from their preferred platform, wouldn’t you?

Because Google Says So

Google’s algorithm prioritizes user friendly websites overall, and especially mobile-friendly sites. When evaluating which site ranks at the top of Google searches, mobile accessibility is one criterion Google hunkers down on. To get the most out of SEO-optimized content, your site has to be accessible on mobile devices. 

Information Source

Consumers look to mobile sites for information. Think of your mobile site as a virtual welcome desk; users can get information about products, locations, mission statements, contact information, and much more, all from their phones. With the click of a link, the user can send an email or make a phone call. Some mobile sites even include messaging and live chat features to assist with their customers’ experience. 

Credibility and Relevance

In 2021, many consumers expect any reputable company to have a fully functioning website. According to a study done by SurveyMonkey and IAcqruire.com,  40% of mobile users will leave a website if it is not mobile friendly. Those are all potential customers you are missing out on.

So now, here’s the second big question, what makes a site mobile friendly?

While much goes into the website design process, a few things should be considered when designing a mobile site. A good mobile website is:

  • Responsive- Website responsiveness means that the site will adapt to the size of your screen. The website will automatically adjust based on the size of the screen the user is viewing the site on. The user will not have to zoom or scroll to view all the content on the page.
  • Quick Load Time- Mobile sites should load quickly to reduce bounce rates. Google released a report that over 53% of mobile users will leave a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. 
  • Easy Navigation– Mobile sites should be easily navigable. This includes legible fonts, clickable contact information, and an easy-to-use menu. 

You can read more about website optimization from our blog post here.

Mobile sites shouldn’t be an afterthought but instead looked at as a way to reach new customers. After your next website redesign, make sure to test the site on both mobile devices and desktop to ensure it’s an enjoyable, easy experience for users. In this day and age, you must be able to engage with your customers no matter the device they’re using.

Contact us here if you’re ready to make your website mobile friendly!

Web Design Trends 2021

In between pop-ups, notifications, ads, and endless tabs, it comes as no surprise that web design has turned into a more straightforward and minimalistic space. The main problem your website should address is how users can find what they are looking for with fewer clicks and glances; with so much information to give and so many graphics and pictures to show, that might not be an easy task. 

Now, more than ever, user experience and user interface design collide to create a seamless experience for the end-user. This is why web design trends toward a neat, well-groomed environment – and Google already knows that. An up-to-date website is rewarded for keeping up with the trends that we are about to show. So, are you ready to be on the first page?

nike acg web design trends 2021

Whitespace 

When used correctly, whitespace, or negative space, can enhance readability and give a more balanced look. When used strategically, it improves user experience by making strong messaging more emphasized and CTAs (call to actions) more visible. And even though it can be called “whitespace,” it does not necessarily have to be white – it can be any background color that contrasts with other elements and make them pop. Do expect to see soft shadows and floating elements around it, creating a layered effect.

Oversized Type and Icons

This includes anything from big typography and exposed, bold grids to oversized icons and amplified menu bars.  This trend is coming to direct the user as intended by the designers. They tend to work very well with the previously mentioned whitespace and minimalistic design. If  used with too many different elements, it might clutter the space and damage the user experience.  Also, a great integration of this feature is full-screen videos that showcase product or service usability.

Vintage Look

What’s old is new again, and we always go back to our old ways. Design concepts from decades ago are back in style, and what worked in print is looking good in digital. One of them is text only heroes, the same that newspapers use to increase sales. They serve as an excellent attention grabber. Mixing photography with graphics is also trending and gives a throwback to collages.  

Micro Animation

Video has been trending for a long time now, and that is nothing new. But something that we are starting to see more and more of in 2020 and will continue to be explored in 2021 are micro animations in UX/UI. Small, yet compelling, micro animations attract and delight the eyes of who sees them. They can be implemented in many areas of your website, making information and data more digestible when used correctly. 

Custom Illustrations

Original content is everything – drawings included. We are seeing lots of companies hire illustrators to customize their web pages. It has been a very effective strategy since when tailored to a specific audience, illustrations can add to your storytelling while emphasizing branding by leaving a positive impact on the user. Although they have to be placed and used wisely, too much of it might look childish, too little might seem out of place.

Original content is everything – drawings included. We are seeing lots of companies hire illustrators to customize their web pages. It has been a very effective strategy since when tailored to a specific audience, illustrations can add to your storytelling while emphasizing branding by leaving a positive impact on the user. Although they have to be placed and used wisely, too much of it might look childish, too little might seem out of place.

Dark mode

Dark mode will soon be an SEO booster and grant you a space on the first page search. The dark mode was created as an alternative to decrease eye-fatigue, sleep disruption, and increase battery savings – also because it looks cool. Apple has been one of the last OS to implement dark mode on mobile devices and desktops, but after their adoption of it, websites and apps might get pushed to implement it.