We’ve all heard the saying, “if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys”, and this certainly applies to website design and development. Sounds harsh? Possibly. Is it true? Definitely!

Over the years, Redline has created bespoke websites for many clients, some as a one-off project and others as part of our unique marketing retainer packages. We also work with clients who already have a website which isn’t fit-for-purpose, and they need Redline’s help making it look presentable or to sort out problems with coding, plugins, content, SEO etc. In these cases, Redline will carry out a thorough website audit, then suggest recommendations. Unfortunately, there are some instances when it is far more cost-effective to create a new website.

You get what you pay for!

There is also a correlation between the price that you pay and the quality of the website. As a rule of thumb, the price your pay will be proportionate to the website designers’ and developers’ experience, qualifications and the time spent planning and developing your website. This is why cheaper options are often a false economy, in both the short and long-term. As you will continue to spend money on fixes, leads will be lost during downtime and visitors (potential buyers!) will be lost as a result of bade user experiences.

Bad experience = lost business

According to Userguiding.com, 45% of users want content to be seen on all devices. If the layout, styling and content is poorly conceived and badly executed, the message will be lost no matter how good the service or product. The process needs to be fluid and the functionality intuitive and responsive. This is why Redline’s websites have fully responsive designs for use on all devices.

If a website is badly designed and developed, this detracts from the user experience. If a site doesn’t load quickly, if it is difficult to navigate, it doesn’t offer secure payments or it just looks cheap, the first thing a visitor will do is leave the site.

Visitors are turned off by bad UX

A recent article published on Userguiding.com, “UX (User Experience) Statistics and Trends” reports that 80% of web users would be willing to pay a higher price for goods on websites that provide a better user experience. What’s more 88% of users would not return to a bad website and 44% would tell their friends about their bad experience.

It’s important to send the right message

It is heart-breaking when clients ask for help because they are embarrassed to show anyone their website. Yet it is completely understandable, as an inferior site can seriously damage the brand identity of a business. It reflects badly, suggesting you don’t care or don’t know how to provide a professional service. Whereas a fast, easy to use site with update high quality content, tells its own story.

Invest in your brand

The problem is, if a business doesn’t seem to have enough faith in its brand to invest in a decent website, it is difficult to get visitors to trust or engage with the brand. You only have one chance to make a first impression, so if your website screams cheap, it suggests corner-cutting and a lack of quality, which is bad for business.

Return on investment

Pretty much anyone can sit in their bedroom using the drag and drop method of website building and call themselves a web developer. Yet there is much more to creating a website than bolting together different components to produce identikit websites. The most obvious considerations are; the purpose of the site, the audience and the action you want them to take. The site could be solely for branding, lead generation or an e-commerce site, all of which require specific features and functionality. Then it’s a matter of managing the site to stay up to date, relevant and searchable.

Nice face, shame about the backend

On the other hand, it is possible for inexperienced developers to create beautiful looking websites with lots of lovely Calls To Action. But if the backend is a mess, there will be delays, glitches and downtime which can turn out to be costly.

If the backend cannot be updated to a satisfactorily standard for the long-term, this is when Redline will suggest cutting your losses and starting again. The advantage of this, is that you will have a professional bespoke WordPress site with a corresponding CRM for leads and an easily editable CMS for updates and additions. The new site will be planned down to the finest details, including the purpose, functionality, future plans and growth to ensure the site is built with the right foundations and provides opportunities for effective SEO.

Redline to the rescue

Redline’s developers and marketing digital team can provide an in-depth website review and SEO analysis to assess the front and backend, taking into account the following elements:

• Has the site received a comprehensive quality control?
• Is the development up to a professional standard?
• Have the latest techniques been used?
• Is the site responsive for all devices?
• Have SEO best practices been taken into account?
• Have Google best practices been followed?
• Does it have a professional creative design?
• Have the keywords been thoroughly researched?
• Are the images of a good enough quality?
• Does the site feature professional copywriting?
• Does the content engage with the visitor?
• Are there enough Calls To Actions?
• Do the forms work?
• Is the site user friendly?
• Have analytics been installed?

In conclusion…

Your website is your single most important marketing channel and it should be planned down to the last detail. The more time, effort and money put into developing, maintaining and optimizing your website the greater the potential for larger long-term returns on your investment.

If you would like to find out more about Redline’s website design and development services, get in touch on [email protected].