There is a statistic that I use quite often that measures the time it takes a person to evaluate your website. Studies show that website users decide the credibility of your site in the first 50 milliseconds that they see your site. While this is a widely accepted fact there are relatively few places online that really dig into this research and make connections between actual design elements and their split second consequences. One of the best pieces I have read was recently published on A List Apart in an article called “Visual Decision Making.” I encourage you to read the article if you have any interest in the impact of good design on the success of a website.
Design often is gets categorized wrongly as an art. Understandably, when design is looked at as an embellishment or a luxury, business owners are hesitant to invest money in it, especially in tough economic times. I like the way that A List Apart defines design in their Visual Decision Making article. It says, “Smart graphic design is always some balance of current expressive trends, information architecture, classical layout aesthetics, and detailed research on user preferences and motivations.”
If you are considering designing your website yourself or cutting corners with the design of your website I hope you reconsider. Amateur design is easily spotted and the visitors to your site will sense the lack of professionalism immediately. With so much at stake it makes sense to hire an experienced web design company. Give us a call and let us show you how much more successful your site will be with great design.