Post by sumiseo558899 on Nov 9, 2024 10:47:11 GMT
Demand and offer a pitch according to your position.
It may seem obvious, but the truth is that not all projects start with a good pitch. Haste and sometimes a lack of communication can lead to skipping such an important step as describing the needs of the SME when designing a website. And this step is essential. In fact, it is the one that can avoid problems in the future and ensure that delivery deadlines are met.
For this reason, if you are the director or digital manager of the same, or you are the web designer who will create the masterpiece, you must disclose or demand the important details that guarantee that the web design is adequate, that it respects the image and values of the brand and, especially, that the design is aligned with the business objectives.
2. Take into account the main marketing and sales objectives.
A website is a business's digital showcase, capable of securing new customers and satisfying old ones. For this reason, when creating a website, it is essential to have clear business objectives and to take into account which strategic actions can lead to a greater number of conversions and improve online reputation. Whether through the presentation of appropriate content, different subscriptions, or a selection of organized products, we must consider that design is only one part, albeit an important one, of an overall strategy.
Does this mean that creativity and design content writing service are dead? Not at all, but we must remember that a website, if it is created with the purpose of attracting customers and even directly selling a business's products, must not only be designed respecting the brand image, but also according to a series of marketing and sales objectives . And, in fact, this can mean much more creativity on the part of the designer as long as the website is created from the perspective of Growth-Driven Design.
And what is Growth-Driven Design? Unlike traditional designs, where a web design or redesign project can take months and changes are minimal over the next 3 to 5 years, Growth-Driven Design allows, broadly speaking, to create a base design based on the main objectives and to expand this design according to the needs of the SME .
Growth-Driven Design is a working methodology that makes it possible to make improvements to a website without investing a large amount of resources in completely changing it. This involves having a design in place and starting with the most relevant parts to meet short-term objectives and then gradually making adjustments and adding elements and sections based on an analysis of website performance and conversion.
And for this reason, we consider that the designer's creativity is fundamental, since he or she has to contemplate an agile and adaptable website that not only aligns with the business objectives at all times, but also allows for optimizations without affecting the user experience on the web . For this reason, as we have mentioned in the first point, it is essential to make a pitch and take into account a series of key points that we will discuss below:
3. Know well who the business's buyer personas are.
You're probably tired of hearing it, but we can't stress enough how important it is to create buyer persona profiles for any strategic marketing and sales decision, including web design. If you're the person in charge of the web project in the SME, you should be able to convey to the designer the essence of each buyer profile in your company and make sure to explain what their buying cycle is like.
{{cta('bd8f779a-7e79-4754-9a62-8be6571b5c41')}}
Why would a designer be interested in knowing the business's buyer personas? Unlike the concept of target , the buyer persona specifies much more precisely the needs of buyers according to the purchasing phase they are in. This information can help the designer to highlight the most important information or functionalities of certain pages of the website and take into account the preferences of different socio-demographic sectors in terms of colour, fonts, icons, images, etc.
4. Don't forget the importance of functionality and content.
As we said at the beginning, to ensure the best performance of a website, the fundamental triad is 'content, functionality and design' and, for this reason, the first two concepts must be respected when designing. How exactly?
As the SME manager, you may provide most of the content to ensure that all information is included in the design and its hierarchy is respected. But as we have said, depending on the objectives, the web platform that will serve as a launching pad may not necessarily have all the final elements, much less all the content. For this reason, it is essential to discuss the relevance of the content with the designer and bear in mind that, at some point, the content and pieces will have to be expanded or changed.
As a designer, it is essential to consider the different possibilities and request a proposal that allows you to determine the hierarchy of information on the different pages and how sections could be expanded or elements added. The conceptualization of the design must be comprehensive, even if the immediate delivery of the first sketches does not include all the elements. In this way, it is possible to ensure that the website remains functional for the buyer persona and that the content is related and useful.
5. Search for and offer references, but without limiting possible changes.
Again, as the person in charge of your SME's web project, you may have done a thorough investigation of your competitors' websites. Many of these websites can serve as a reference, especially if you detect that there are some elements that are key to conversion, but remember that your website must be sufficiently different to guarantee a unique experience, hence the importance of having a different design .
As a designer, and taking into account the various key points we have discussed, it is also possible to show the website manager references that are sufficiently differentiating but, at the same time, aligned with business needs. From there, you have to start designing:
6. Take into account the SME's branding standards.
As you may have already learned, a web design is not just about aesthetics, but it must be functional and connected to business objectives while satisfying buyer personas. In short, designing a website is not easy. However, one of the bases of any design must be the branding of the SME or, in other words, its brand standards.
These standards can help the designer maintain cohesion between the different online and offline elements. The SME may have documents detailing branding and brand image, for example, as we propose with our DDC (definition-differentiation-communication) strategy .
respecting branding when creating a web design
7. Know what the best practices are for web design and formatting.
Balance:
Generally, websites are built on a grid system, which creates a form of visual balance. Following brand standards, symmetrical, asymmetrical, or even unbalanced layouts can be made to create a certain feeling for the website visitor to direct the eye, highlight elements, or even make them think. Obviously, this should align with the main objectives of the business.
Spacing:
One of the keys to conversion is spacing out the different elements on a page, so that users can differentiate blocks and sections. This is achieved by using white space, which reduces visual noise (the accumulation of elements such as text and images) and improves readability , especially relevant on blog pages and sections that lead to subsections.
Focal point:
When it comes to drawing attention to an element, it is essential that the design draws the visitor's eye to the relevant focal point. This is especially important for banners or CTA buttons that invite conversion and can also be achieved through the use of stand-out colours, which brings us to the next point to consider:
Color:
To ensure consistency across the entire website, it is essential to choose primary and secondary colors and stick to them . The idea is that these colors correspond to those chosen for the brand, but in the case of a complete rebranding, the main thing to take into account is the buyer personas and their preferences.
It may seem obvious, but the truth is that not all projects start with a good pitch. Haste and sometimes a lack of communication can lead to skipping such an important step as describing the needs of the SME when designing a website. And this step is essential. In fact, it is the one that can avoid problems in the future and ensure that delivery deadlines are met.
For this reason, if you are the director or digital manager of the same, or you are the web designer who will create the masterpiece, you must disclose or demand the important details that guarantee that the web design is adequate, that it respects the image and values of the brand and, especially, that the design is aligned with the business objectives.
2. Take into account the main marketing and sales objectives.
A website is a business's digital showcase, capable of securing new customers and satisfying old ones. For this reason, when creating a website, it is essential to have clear business objectives and to take into account which strategic actions can lead to a greater number of conversions and improve online reputation. Whether through the presentation of appropriate content, different subscriptions, or a selection of organized products, we must consider that design is only one part, albeit an important one, of an overall strategy.
Does this mean that creativity and design content writing service are dead? Not at all, but we must remember that a website, if it is created with the purpose of attracting customers and even directly selling a business's products, must not only be designed respecting the brand image, but also according to a series of marketing and sales objectives . And, in fact, this can mean much more creativity on the part of the designer as long as the website is created from the perspective of Growth-Driven Design.
And what is Growth-Driven Design? Unlike traditional designs, where a web design or redesign project can take months and changes are minimal over the next 3 to 5 years, Growth-Driven Design allows, broadly speaking, to create a base design based on the main objectives and to expand this design according to the needs of the SME .
Growth-Driven Design is a working methodology that makes it possible to make improvements to a website without investing a large amount of resources in completely changing it. This involves having a design in place and starting with the most relevant parts to meet short-term objectives and then gradually making adjustments and adding elements and sections based on an analysis of website performance and conversion.
And for this reason, we consider that the designer's creativity is fundamental, since he or she has to contemplate an agile and adaptable website that not only aligns with the business objectives at all times, but also allows for optimizations without affecting the user experience on the web . For this reason, as we have mentioned in the first point, it is essential to make a pitch and take into account a series of key points that we will discuss below:
3. Know well who the business's buyer personas are.
You're probably tired of hearing it, but we can't stress enough how important it is to create buyer persona profiles for any strategic marketing and sales decision, including web design. If you're the person in charge of the web project in the SME, you should be able to convey to the designer the essence of each buyer profile in your company and make sure to explain what their buying cycle is like.
{{cta('bd8f779a-7e79-4754-9a62-8be6571b5c41')}}
Why would a designer be interested in knowing the business's buyer personas? Unlike the concept of target , the buyer persona specifies much more precisely the needs of buyers according to the purchasing phase they are in. This information can help the designer to highlight the most important information or functionalities of certain pages of the website and take into account the preferences of different socio-demographic sectors in terms of colour, fonts, icons, images, etc.
4. Don't forget the importance of functionality and content.
As we said at the beginning, to ensure the best performance of a website, the fundamental triad is 'content, functionality and design' and, for this reason, the first two concepts must be respected when designing. How exactly?
As the SME manager, you may provide most of the content to ensure that all information is included in the design and its hierarchy is respected. But as we have said, depending on the objectives, the web platform that will serve as a launching pad may not necessarily have all the final elements, much less all the content. For this reason, it is essential to discuss the relevance of the content with the designer and bear in mind that, at some point, the content and pieces will have to be expanded or changed.
As a designer, it is essential to consider the different possibilities and request a proposal that allows you to determine the hierarchy of information on the different pages and how sections could be expanded or elements added. The conceptualization of the design must be comprehensive, even if the immediate delivery of the first sketches does not include all the elements. In this way, it is possible to ensure that the website remains functional for the buyer persona and that the content is related and useful.
5. Search for and offer references, but without limiting possible changes.
Again, as the person in charge of your SME's web project, you may have done a thorough investigation of your competitors' websites. Many of these websites can serve as a reference, especially if you detect that there are some elements that are key to conversion, but remember that your website must be sufficiently different to guarantee a unique experience, hence the importance of having a different design .
As a designer, and taking into account the various key points we have discussed, it is also possible to show the website manager references that are sufficiently differentiating but, at the same time, aligned with business needs. From there, you have to start designing:
6. Take into account the SME's branding standards.
As you may have already learned, a web design is not just about aesthetics, but it must be functional and connected to business objectives while satisfying buyer personas. In short, designing a website is not easy. However, one of the bases of any design must be the branding of the SME or, in other words, its brand standards.
These standards can help the designer maintain cohesion between the different online and offline elements. The SME may have documents detailing branding and brand image, for example, as we propose with our DDC (definition-differentiation-communication) strategy .
respecting branding when creating a web design
7. Know what the best practices are for web design and formatting.
Balance:
Generally, websites are built on a grid system, which creates a form of visual balance. Following brand standards, symmetrical, asymmetrical, or even unbalanced layouts can be made to create a certain feeling for the website visitor to direct the eye, highlight elements, or even make them think. Obviously, this should align with the main objectives of the business.
Spacing:
One of the keys to conversion is spacing out the different elements on a page, so that users can differentiate blocks and sections. This is achieved by using white space, which reduces visual noise (the accumulation of elements such as text and images) and improves readability , especially relevant on blog pages and sections that lead to subsections.
Focal point:
When it comes to drawing attention to an element, it is essential that the design draws the visitor's eye to the relevant focal point. This is especially important for banners or CTA buttons that invite conversion and can also be achieved through the use of stand-out colours, which brings us to the next point to consider:
Color:
To ensure consistency across the entire website, it is essential to choose primary and secondary colors and stick to them . The idea is that these colors correspond to those chosen for the brand, but in the case of a complete rebranding, the main thing to take into account is the buyer personas and their preferences.