Many business owners make the mistake of creating separate strategies for web design and content marketing efforts. Unfortunately, this isn’t likely to yield the best results. In an age where content marketing is at the heart of every successful digital marketing campaign, it is critical that your web design effectively supports and amplifies the content you create.
When web design and content marketing efforts are combined, your potential to reach a larger audience, and to have a more powerful effect on viewers can be significantly increased. Here are a few reasons why it makes sense to put these two strategies together:
1. Increase Time on Page
Even the best content can cause viewers to yawn before they’ve reached the end of the first paragraph. For example, too much text on a page may cause some viewers to bounce before they even get past the title. Text-heavy page design can be overwhelming, as it can be difficult to find the most important information on the page, and can make skimming a bit tricky.
Shorter paragraphs accompanied by exciting images, headers, bullets, box designs and plenty of white space make it easier and faster for readers find what they’re looking for. The simpler it is to read and digest your content, the longer viewers will stay on your site, and that’s good for your page rank and ultimately your wallet.
2. Maximize Page Load Speed
With visual content growing in popularity today, videos, images, infographics and other visual elements have become a crucial aspect of any well-designed website. However, these elements also tend to take longer to load if they are not formatted and sized correctly.
It’s important not to create visual content that takes a long time to load, or you risk losing your viewers to faster loading sites. A good website design and development agency will be able to design your site in a way that allows your business to deliver content to your ideal audience in the most effective manner.
3. Optimize for Multiple Devices
Today’s website viewers are using a combination of smartphones, tablets and desktops to browse your site. Therefore, your content must be designed to meet the needs of users on any device, at any time. Otherwise, you may lose a high percentage of potential customers simply because your website isn’t loading fast enough, or certain aspects of your website aren’t functioning correctly on their phone or tablet.
A seamless transition from one device to another is best, vs. having to switch to a mobile version or a mobile app. People are looking for information about products and services, and/or want to make purchases, and your goal should be to make it as easy as possible for them.
4. Increase Lead Generation
Another important function of your website is to generate leads from your website viewers. However, many businesses neglect to make it clear what actions they want their visitors to take. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that your web page content includes appropriate call-to-actions, to help inspire your visitors to take your intended actions.
For example, if you want visitors to sign up for your newsletter, you should include a clear call-to-action, such as, “Sign Up Here,” or “Subscribe Now.” Otherwise, your visitors may read your newsletter and enjoy it, but never subscribe, because they don’t know it’s an option, or don’t know how or where to do so.
If you’re looking for a NH website design agency that specializes in web design and content marketing, contact the SMILE media team today.
