by Lindsay Pietroluongo
Website design and development is the process of planning and creating a website from start to finish. Everything from visuals, like colors, layout and typography, to technical aspects, like coding and functionality, is included. Altogether, web design and web development ensure that a site is attractive, user-friendly, reliable, fast and functional.
In terms of online reputation management (ORM), web design and development are critical aspects of a brand’s digital presence. Your website has the ability to convey trustworthiness by giving users a seamless experience.
Moreover, a well-designed website with optimized web pages can improve search engine rankings, allowing more potential customers to find you online and convert.
NetReputation provides information and services to help you implement effective digital presence practices. Call us at 844-461-3632 to learn more or fill out the contact form below for a free consultation.
Request a Free Consultation
Why First Impressions Matter in Web Design
Your visitors will form opinions about your website — and your brand — within seconds of visiting. Design elements shape how the public feels about your site and company before they read any of your content.
Color Schemes
Colors have psychological importance. For example:
- Blue: Trust and stability
- Green: Calming or environment-focused
- Red: Excitement or urgency
Having the right color palette is the difference between having an approachable and engaging brand or one that’s off-putting and a deterrent.
Layout of Web Pages
How a website is arranged can make or break clarity or trust:
- When the layout is clean and balanced, with a lot of white space that doesn’t overwhelm the user, your brand will come off as modern, organized and professional.
- A cluttered layout, on the other hand, can be seen as untrustworthy.
Additionally, your site’s layout guides the visitor’s eye, telling them where to look and how to navigate the page.
Typography
The font you use on your site affects the impact of your content and its readability. It can also communicate your brand personality. For example:
- Serif Fonts: Authoritative or traditional
- Sans-Serif Fonts: Approachable and modern
If you choose the wrong font, make the text too large, or have odd spacing, your content can be difficult to read, which will frustrate users. Additionally, your site will fail to communicate its purpose or keep people on it for long.
Trust Signals on Web Pages
By incorporating trust signals into your website design, you can increase credibility. Trust-building elements include:
- “About Us” and contact pages
- Awards, certifications and industry affiliations
- Reviews and testimonials
As your business grows, your website will be able to have more of these elements. Even if you’re just starting out, though, having transparent company information and contact options can help visitors feel comfortable trusting your brand.
You can take control of your online reputation with the help of web design and development. Call us at 844-461-3632 for more information.
4 Key Principles Web Designers Use for a Reputation-Building Website
From making sure your design meets user needs to staying consistent with your branding, here are four must-follow principles for web design and web development.
1. User-Centered Design
User-centered design (UCD) prioritizes the behaviors, needs and preferences of your visitors. Instead of building a website based solely on aesthetics or what you assume users want, UCD keeps the target audience in mind when making design and development choices.
UCD allows visitors to achieve their goals, including:
- Finding the information they’re looking for
- Making a purchase
- Contacting the company
By making it easy for users to do what they came to do, you can increase website engagement, improve conversion rates and strengthen your brand’s reputation.
2. Consistency Across Web Pages
Your website is more than a digital storefront for your company — it’s an extension of your brand. To reinforce your brand’s identity and improve recognizability, you have to keep aesthetics consistent across all of your website pages.
Companies that demonstrate brand consistency increase revenue by 10-20%, yet only 30% of organizations with brand guidelines actually enforce them on a regular basis.
The following elements should be uniform across your entire site:
- Brand Colors: Using a consistent color palette will strengthen emotional associations that customers make to your brand.
- Logo Placement: Your logo should be in the same spot on every page. Typically, logos are placed on the top-left of a web page.
- Typography: Avoid mixing too many fonts, which can feel chaotic and different to read. Select one or two fonts to use across your site.
It’s helpful to mix classic elements with more modern ones so that you don’t have to update your site design frequently. Plus, keeping your site’s look relatively the same over time makes it more memorable and reliable.
3. Accessible and Responsive Web Design
Today, almost 63% of global website traffic comes from mobile devices. That means that responsive design — meaning the website can adapt its layout to the device you’re viewing it on — is a necessity, not an option. Without responsive design, users will have a difficult time seeing your content, finding and clicking buttons, etc. This leads to high bounce rates. In other words, visitors will leave your site after visiting just one page.
Accessibility is also necessary to consider for web design and web development. Following accessibility best practices allows visitors with disabilities to engage with your site. Accessibility features include:
- Alt text to describe images
- High color contrast for easier text readability
- Well-labeled forms
By creating an accessible and responsive site, you’ll be able to reach a broader audience and demonstration to your audience that you care about social responsibility.
4. Developing Websites for Navigation and Usability
Your website can only be successful if visitors are able to find what they need. Websites with high usability have reduced friction, making it easier for visitors to get around. Navigation and usability features include:
- Intuitive menus that clarify site structure
- Logical content flow to move visitors through sections
- Call-to-action (CTA) buttons to guide visitors toward goals
Proper website navigation goes beyond web design elements, too. In terms of web development, click-tracking software and heatmaps can show how visitors interact with buttons, links and menus. Gathering these insights lets you know what’s working on your site and which areas need improvement.
4 Technical Aspects To Implement During the Web Development Process
Web design determines how a site feels, but technical web development focuses on how a site functions. From content management to online security, your web developer will prioritize the following four elements.
1. Content Management
Every website needs a content management system (CMS) in order to create, edit and manage its content. And many popular CMS options allow you to do all of this without having in-depth technical knowledge.
Using the right CMS is critical to making easy updates every day, creating a user-friendly site that can grow with time, and integrating third-party tools to improve the user experience. Plus, your CMS should streamline your publishing workflow to save time and resources while delivering content to your target audience.
Ultimately, think of your CMS as the backbone of your website. It’s one of your biggest tools for reaching long-term goals.
2. Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization (SEO) is like the technical side of your CMS. Important SEO elements include:
- Metadata, such as alt text, meta descriptions and meta titles
- XML sitemaps that help web crawlers navigate your site’s structure
- Schema markup to provide context to certain types of content, like products or recipes
By optimizing these technical elements, Google and other search engines can more easily index and rank your pages. In turn, this creates better online visibility for your brand.
3. Site Performance
Site performance and speed are critical factors when it comes to search engine rankings and user satisfaction. Today’s users expect sites to load instantly. When a page loads slowly, bounce rates increase. Plus, the Google algorithm uses page load speed as a ranking determinant. Having a slow-to-load site can negatively impact your search engine ranking.
A major aspect of improving performance is image optimization, specifically compressing large files without sacrificing quality. Other performance-enhancing techniques your web developer will employ include:
- Carefully selecting plugins
- Fixing bloated code
- Using a content delivery network (CDN)
Overall, the optimizations a web developer makes create a smooth and engaging website experience for users.
4. Website Security
When visitors go to a website, they need their data to be safe. (Plus, search engine rankings favor secure websites.)
In the U.S., almost 40% of internet users are worried about how companies use their personal data online. Plus, over 41% of internet users turn on ad blockers as a way to protect their privacy online. And almost 29% do so specifically to stop companies from collecting their personal data.
One of the biggest signals that a site is secure is if it uses HTTPS and has an SSL certificate. These safety elements create encrypted connections and protect sensitive information, like login credentials and payment details. Additionally, software and plugins must be updated regularly to patch vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit if left unsecured.
Neglecting your website’s security won’t just turn off visitors and search engines — it can have brand-ruining consequences in the case of a data breach. The best defense is early implementation of safety measures, such as regularly backing up your website, scanning for malware and using firewalls.
Having a secure website shows that your brand is accountable, reliable and professional.
Web Design and Development Strategies to Build and Maintain Your Online Reputation
Your website shouldn’t be a static brochure for your brand. Instead, dynamic websites function as reputation-building tools. With the right content and features, you can utilize your site to attract members of your target audience and keep them engaged.
At NetReputation, we work with individuals and businesses to help them build and take control of their online reputation. Give us a call at 844-461-3632 to learn more about our web design and development services.
Customer Support Tools and Interactive Elements
Sprout Social found that 76% of customers take notice of and appreciate it when companies prioritize support. Your website visitors should be able to get direct access to support or have their questions answered quickly. Customer support features include:
- Contact forms
- FAQ sections
- Live chat
These features prevent visitors from getting frustrated and increase their satisfaction levels. Plus, you’ll demonstrate that your business prioritizes communication and customer service. Best of all, accessible customer support keeps minor issues from escalating into disasters.
Incorporating a Feedback Page
More than 93% of online shoppers read reviews before making an online purchase. By showing positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied customers, you’ll make it easier for new leads to trust your brand and convert. Don’t have a way for customers to leave reviews directly on your site? Link to other review platforms. Also, pull the best ones to create testimonial graphics for your web pages.
Using Social Proof
Since customers put so much trust in the experiences of others, social proof should be a cornerstone of your website (and your marketing strategy). User-generated content (UGC), active social media feeds and community forums show that your brand is engaged with its audience. Also consider posting client spotlights or sharing customer success stories.
Making Regular Updates to Always-Developing Websites
Websites that don’t post new content feel outdated and stagnant. They may even make visitors wonder if your business is still operating. Publishing new content — such as case studies, blog posts and news updates — shows that you’re active in the industry. Plus, fresh content keeps your site relevant to users and search engines.
Final Thoughts About Web Design and Development
Having an expertly designed and technically sound website attracts visitors, shapes your online brand perception, and builds trust with your audience. Every element contributes to this, including user-centered design, SEO, and security features.
At NetReputation, we provide a broad range of services to individuals and businesses who want to create, grow or repair their digital reputation. Whether you’re prioritizing your personal or professional online reputation, our solutions and team of experts can help.
Our ORM services include web design and development, brand management, review management, SEO services and more. It’s time to take back control of how people perceive you online so you can attract the opportunities you deserve.
Get started today with a free consultation with one of our experts. Call us at 844-461-3632 or fill out the contact form below.