In a modern digital world where landing pages, profiles, and websites can be made in just a few clicks, it has become increasingly harder to come by good web design. We’re talking about parallax scrolling, professional imagery, and SEO that actually makes your site visible, just to name a few important elements of a good website.
In this blog, we’re eager to talk about great website design, bad website design, and the cost (financially and metaphorically) of both. If you’re wondering what our credentials are on such a topic, we get it. Everyone has an opinion these days.
PGN Agency, Metro Detroit’s neighborhood ad agency, has 39 years of experience in:
- Website Design
- SEO Services
- Social Media Management
- Print & Digital Graphic Design
- Photography & Videography
We’re a small team. Maybe your company has a small team, too. We like to call your website your “Most Valuable Employee” because no matter the size of your business, your website can do the work of 10 or more people at once. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Let’s get into it.
Is it important to have a website in 2023?
One of the first answers you’ll find when searching for how to advertise your business is this: create a website for your new business! Easier said than done, right? With Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and other apps, many may choose to forego a website.
Is social media enough to advertise my business?
Social media alone is simply not enough if you want to maximize reach and increase engagement. It’s like preaching to a crowd of people – you could scream and hope that the front 50 hear you, or you could grab a microphone and reach the entire audience.
Although it is a necessary tool to cultivate your brand, engage with customers, and create advertisements, there are many benefits of a good website that social media lacks. For instance:
SEO Capabilities On Your Website
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. With proper placement and copywriting of keywords throughout your website, among other factors, your site has the ability to climb the ranks of Google and reach millions. SEO on Instagram and Facebook simply does not produce the same level of reach and visibility.
Versatility of a website
Your website is the headquarters of your business. There is no app that can accomplish the many tasks that a website does all at once. A good website:
- Informs of your products and services through copy, photo, and video
- Directs traffic through the sales funnel
- Shares your history, portfolio, and expertise
- Can be a private account hub for consumers
- Offers customers a chance to inquire with your business
- And more!
How valuable is a good website to my business?
A good website, especially a website for a small business, is simply invaluable. If you have a small team, odds are, your employees have to wear many hats while they’re on the job. Similarly, your company’s website can accomplish multiple tasks at once. An effective website is:
- An Account Manager: Managing the relationship between business and consumer
- A Human Resources Manager: Offering consumers a place to submit inquiries, complaints, and reviews
- A Copywriter: Selling your company and offerings through words
- A Photographer: Selling your company and offerings through imagery
- A Digital Strategist: Optimizing the SEO on your website so that it can be seen on common search engines
- A Media Planner: Utilizing multiple mediums, such as social media, to make sure traffic is being driven to your website
Must we go on? A good website is invaluable to your business. The building and development of a professional website is a one-time cost; the investment lasts a lifetime. What’s more – the cost of a new website can be half that of what it costs to hire an entry-level staff member. Sold yet?
What makes a good website?
It is obvious that a website is worthwhile. As we touched on above, a good website should sell your products and services, inform customers of your unique selling proposition, and (with the proper SEO) make sure your site is seen on common search engines.
You may be wondering, how do I design the best website? For standout results, you need a standout development. At PGN Agency, our team is experienced in total web development. Our web development services include:
- Analyzing the health and score of your website
- Creating your website’s sitemap/wireframe
- Gathering and creating content for your website
- Photography and videography for your website
- Professional website development
- SEO services
- Monthly maintenance of your website
We’re a full-service agency here at PGN. Interested in continuing to learn about how a great website gets developed? Below, we’re revealing 5 important qualities of a good website.
What are 5 important elements of a good website?
User Experience for Website
The user experience of your website involves load speed, readability, mobile friendliness, and overall aesthetics. Nailing them all requires the help of an experienced Detroit web designer. User experience is all about the enjoyment and ease of your website when being seen by a user. If your user experience is lacking, viewers won’t be slow to hit the “X” in the corner. In fact, it takes just milliseconds for a user to make a judgment of your website and, ultimately, your business.
Prioritize your user experience with updated content, digestible copy, monthly backend maintenance, straightforward navigation, and branded visuals that are both aesthetically pleasing and properly functioning.
Branding on Your Website
Speaking of branded visulas, slapping your logo on a homepage is not enough to deem your domain “a good website”. Your website should reflect the brand you have cultivated across all mediums including social, print, radio, television, and internal communications.
Sound like an impossible feat? Whether your brand is starting from scratch or starting over, PGN Agency can be with you every step of the way. Our branding services include:
- Logo design
- Colors and typography
- Graphic design for communication collateral
- Social media onboarding
- Web design and development
- And more!
Photo and Video on Your Website
You may be wondering when it comes to photo vs video, what is most important on my website? Both photography and videography are valuable to your website. We are living in a very digital age – people want to SEE what you can do.
Importance of Direct Unification
Direct Unification is the process of ensuring that the contact information for your business is up-to-date and consistent across ALL platforms. Make sure your name, phone number, and address are the same on your website, Google Business, social media, internal communications, email signature, and more.
If you want to be found, make sure customers know where to look!
Importance of Backlinks and SEO
As mentioned earlier, SEO is one of the key advantages to having a professionally developed website. As of January 1, 2023, there are an estimated 1,986,154,062 websites in the world. With that kind of competition you may be wondering, how do I get my website seen on Google?
- Write your copy for humans FIRST. Google second.
- Create keyword-rich headlines.
- Backlinks
- Meta descriptions for blog posts and pages
- On and off-site SEO
Are we speaking another language? If you’re interested in better SEO for your website, our team at PGN Agency can help take your business to the next level.
What is the Cost of a Professionally Designed Website?
Now that you can hire anyone in the world to build a website for your business, the cost has greatly decreased. Templated sites like Wix or Shopify make it simple for anyone to DIY a website or landing page. It is important to remember that you get what you pay for.
There are over 1 billion websites in the world. The odds are much higher that a professionally designed, programmed, and maintained website will outrank those amateurly thrown together.
Good Web Design – The Unsung Hero of Your Business
A good website is invaluable to your business. The building and development of a professional website is a one-time cost; the investment lasts a lifetime. Your website doesn’t take vacation days. Your website doesn’t require health insurance. Your website is working overtime all year round. Can you say the same?
For all of your web design, web development, and web maintenance needs – contact PGN Agency of Royal Oak, Michigan today! Until then, support a small business and keep up with our team on social media.