Is your website not as effective as you’d hoped it would be? Were you imagining more leads than you could possibly close, or more orders to fill than products available?

You are not alone! In fact, website performance, or lack thereof, is one of the top reasons brands approach us for help. So we know what it feels like to have a lackluster and underperforming website. But before you even think about giving up, first try to understand if you can improve its performance by using a more effective website design.

Every brand wants a website that is different and unique, but yet familiar (in that people can use it 😉 ). Nowadays, it is very easy to get an amazing website template at a very reasonable cost. However, you should not only be concerned with just choosing a fancy template and launching your site. You must also ensure that it is ultimately beneficial for your brand.

Here are 4 useful tips on how you can get the most effective website design for your brand.

1. Understand your purpose

Selecting an effective website design for your brand is a cinch if you know your purpose. For instance, if you want to sell some products online through your website, then an e-commerce or online retailing web template should be your initial choice.

Likewise, if you want to just share some knowledge about your products to your customers or online visitors, then an informational website would be more suitable for you. (With some way for potential leads to leave their contact information with you, of course.)

You may also just want to showcase your skills and knowledge, share content that positions you as a thought leader and authority. This can be done too! (But we recommend, even with this type of site, to use and/or include some sort of lead generation tactics.)

BUT if you don’t know the purpose quite yet, maybe it is time to give it some strategic thought.

2. Understand your audience

A better understanding of your target audience would be an immense help when choosing your website design. When you know what they are looking for when they come to your website, you will be in a better position to select an appropriate website design template.

Typically, visitors love a website that offers them a great user experience, meaning a site that is fast, easily navigable, and extremely user-friendly. In this regard, however, it is important to know your target demographic to empower them with what THEY consider to be easily navigable and user-friendly. (It’s not about what YOU think is a good experience unless you are your target audience…)

3. Understand the problems of your current website

If in case you already have a website but want to update it, then here are some options that’ll help you understand the current issues that your website might have.

You could set up a survey (or chat feature) on your site to get candid feedback from random visitors. Questions could include: What did you come here for today? Did you find what you were looking for? How can we improve your experience on our site?

You could also approach a professional web design agency to see if they would conduct a free website analysis. This type of analysis will highlight all of the areas that you could improve on your site. They will also be able to provide you with the guidance you need to fix those problems so that your website can become more effective.

Based on this actual research, you will have a greater understanding of the holes in your website and the possibilities of what you can do with your online presence.

4. Understand the expense

There is a certain amount of investment involved in designing a great website, especially if you want it to be effective in helping you achieve your business objectives. Depending on your purpose and requirements, you might want to start looking into hiring a good web developer or maybe website designing agency to help you create the perfect website for your brand.

So start by making a budget and then compare what best fits your requirements. Maybe just ask for website designing packages or proposals from different agencies to see which one offers you the best value at the right price.