Corporate Website Design – It’s More Than Lipstick on a Pig
by Josette MIllar
Makeup is meant to enhance the features of its wearer, so if under the foundation and mascara, there’s not much substance, makeup can only do so much. After all, when you put lipstick on a pig, there’s still a plate full of bacon behind the blush.
How does this relate to corporate website design?
Think of it this way: If you have a stunning site, you’ve started with the lipstick. But is the lipstick enhancing something? Or is it trying to cover up something that’s not quite as attractive after all?
In other words, successful corporate website design goes beyond just the pretty pictures. If this is all you have, you’ve just got lipstick on a pig. If, however, beautiful pages are just the icing on the cake, you’ve got a worker bee that’s nice to look at, too.
Sure, you do need to have a stunning site to attract an audience and get people interested in learning more about you. We all know that by now. Once people have found you, though, you only have a few seconds to grab their attention and keep them entertained. If your corporate website design is put together poorly, your audience will run the other way faster than a pig when it sees a breakfast plate. Want to prevent people from fleeing your farm? Read on!
Functionality.
What’s the use of having a website that doesn’t really do anything? If your site’s not pulling its weight, it’s defeating the purpose. Functionality should be your first and foremost thought when you begin the design process. From the foundation of functionality, you can build on the user experience, education, and, of course, the pretty facade which will ultimately be the looking glass the world uses to see into your business.
What makes a functional website functional?
- If you’re selling something, are your consumers able to buy it?
- Is it responsive to the various forms of technology by which your audience will be viewing it?
- Are all of your links actually going somewhere?
User Experience.
Alas, a bad experience will stick in the mind of your users more powerfully than a positive one. It’s just human nature. That doesn’t mean you need to test out the old adage “There is no bad publicity” because a negative experience will hurt you in the long run. Nobody cares about how pretty your pig if all it does is squeal and grunt.
What makes a user experience positive?
- Will the terminology and layout you’ve chosen for your site’s navigation make sense to a first-time user? One who may not be familiar with your industry or product?
- Have you removed the clutter and focusing on the important stuff so you don’t overload your audience?
Education.
Want people to come back? Give them a reason to! Rather than withholding all of the amazingness about yourself and your company, unleash your awesomeness to the world around you! Great corporate website design empowers the reader with knowledge by capitalizing on the company’s cyber real estate.
- Blog, blog, and blog some more. This is such a powerful way to let readers know who you are and how they need you in their lives.
- Use the power of suggestion to sprinkle tips and tricks on your pages that can give your audience new ideas.
- Showcase your contact information so it’s easily found.
What do you think of this blog? Please post a reply below! If you’d like to learn more strategies that can lead to a successful corporate website design, feel free to peruse our Sheffield Media Group blog!