As web designers in Geelong, we focus on designs that help make your phone ring. It’s all part of our strategy to build you a website that works. That strategy begins with a number of things, including site planning and structure and quality SEO copywriting.
Without SEO copy, your site won’t be found by new customers in Google’s search results. This is why SEO is a standard inclusion in all GOOP websites, because no matter how brilliant your design looks, no one will see it if your site isn’t highly visible in search results!
Your website needs to be found before it can compel the user to take any sort of desired action, such as pick up the phone, walk through your shop’s doors, purchase your products online or whatever you want them to do.
Once your website has been found, the design should compel the user to take desired action, i.e. choose your business! How does a good web design do this? Firstly, consider this:
It takes just 2.6 seconds for a user’s eye to focus on the part of a website which most influences their first impression¹.
With this in mind, let’s talk about the home page. While users don’t always necessarily land on your website’s home page – because your product and service pages are individually optimised to act as landing pages – there’s a good chance they’ll end up on your home page at some point. You know, just so they can get an overall idea of who you are and what you do. So let’s discuss home page first impressions.
When users look at your home page, they shouldn’t get lost in the variety of things you offer – your business will simply look “greige”². While the home page shouldn’t be optimised for any one particular product or service, it should be immediately identifiable what type of business you are, what your core offering is and who you most provide it to.
For example, if you are a plumber and you service mainly commercial clients in Geelong, then we don’t want to see an image of a plumber under a kitchen sink. We don’t want to see pictures of houses, families or read a heading which says “fast and reliable service throughout the Geelong region.” None of these things help the user determine what you do best. When you think about it, the slogan can be applied to other service-based businesses in Geelong! It could be used on a freight transport website, on an electrician’s, on a window repairers! Fast and reliable service for what? And who?
If commercial is the core of your business, even if you do provide some specific domestic services, then the home page should have a focal point which tells the user exactly what you do, who you do it for and where, in 2.6 seconds. Even if you don’t have an image that can be used to show your commercial services, you could use a graphic, an illustration or simply make your slogan the focal point – but make it sharp!
Instead of “fast and reliable service throughout the Geelong region.”, try “Commercial plumbers providing fit-outs, maintenance and 24-hour emergency service to businesses in Geelong.” Better already, no?
See this snapshot of the design for Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast Pest Control. It clearly says what: Make sure the only guests in your home are the ones you invite. It clearly says where: Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast. The design features appropriate images of common pests they control for home-owners. The phone number is clearly visible at the top and the quote request form provides a clear call to action for all users.
The bottom image of a family setting and slogan Protect your family from pests, ties it all together. Cool. If I think my home might have a pest problem and I live in Geelong, along the Bellarine Peninsula or Surf Coast, I’d give these guys a call.
A good home page web design should:
- include your business’s logo
- include your business’s phone number and – where applicable – the address
- include a short and clear message which tells the user exactly what you do, who you do it for and where
- include a focal point like an image or graphic which either demonstrates your message or accompanies it – a combination of an image or graphic with text works well.
If you would like to discuss web design in Geelong, please contact us. We’ll build you a website to attract customers and then compel them to choose you!
¹Extensively quoted research by the Missouri University of Science & Technology.
²Our favourite term for bland, blah, boring, underwhelming, same-same… you get the idea. Oh and the word is an amalgamation of the words “grey” and “beige”.