What Are the Benefits of Custom Branding and Bespoke Web Designs?
Here at Sanders Design, we specialise in creating bespoke web designs and custom WordPress themes for clients. I have produced countless websites for clients over the years, many of which realise just how vital a bespoke web design is for their business.
Now, I know that the bespoke web design cost will be a little bit higher than using one of these web designers that use ‘off the shelf’ web designs. However, I can assure you that the cost isn’t going to be as high as you think (get in touch to find out more about that). I can also assure you that once you realise just how beneficial bespoke web designs are for your business, you will be more than happy to commission a bespoke design.
Let’s take a look, shall we?
What are bespoke web designs?
Before I go any further, it is probably worth talking about what bespoke web designs actually are.
To put it simply, a bespoke website is a site that has been created especially for your business. It isn’t a ‘copy and paste’ of another website, the design is there to enhance your brand. It is all about showcasing what your business is about, and the features added are designed to make you money.
Here, I don’t just want to talk about bespoke website design. I also want to talk about custom graphics on your site, e.g. brand logos and the like.
This is because much of your website design is going to involve graphics and the like, just to really push what your business is all about.
Why not use a site or logo maker?
If you are hunting around online with the intention of starting a new website, then I have no doubt that you will stumble across countless website and logo makers. Wix is probably one of the bigger ones there.
Now, I am not going to deny that these systems are quick. The problem is (and I am looking at it purely from a design perspective here) is that there will never be enough variation in these tools to make your website look well and truly unique.
Remember, thousands upon thousands of businesses are using these tools. This means that there will likely be businesses that end up with the same design as you.
Remember, the whole idea around creating a brand (and your website is part of this brand) is trying to create something that is unique to your business.
Your brand is a promise that you make to your customers. If you look like every other site out there, how can people know what to expect from your brand? This now, of course, leads me onto talking about bespoke web designs in a bit more depth. The advantages of it all.
Reinforce your brand image
It has always intrigued me that while many big businesses focus heavily on their branding, many smaller companies do not. Obviously, smaller companies are showcasing their brand with everything they do, but it often sits at the back of their minds.
There isn’t really a heavy focus on branding. This is a shame, because working on your brand can drastically increase sales for your business.
So, what is a brand? I think the best way to think of it is a promise that you make to your customers. When customers see your brand, they know what to expect.
Hopefully, this will be a quality service or product. Once you work on your branding, your company will start to be associated with certain products or services, which could, in turn, lead to increased sales.
That is the end goal, though. Your branding has to start somewhere, and this is going to be on your website. Enter bespoke web designs.
One of my goals here at Sanders Design is to create a website that helps to convey the brand image that you have. For example, if you are a law firm, you may want a design that is very professional-looking. In contrast, a nursery school will probably need a design that is brightly coloured, really showcasing that ‘fun theme’.
This extends to the graphics on your website too, especially your logo. You need that logo to really say something about you. You need that logo to be recognisable to people in your target market so they can look at it and instantly say, “yes, this is a company I know, and they are a great company to work with”.
By going for bespoke web design, you will really be able to develop the branding of your website. This means getting the colouring right. It means getting the content right.
You cannot do this with ‘out of the box’ solutions, i.e. those free website creators. You do not end up with something that makes your brand stand out because you will end up with a design that is the same as thousands of other websites out there.
Remember, if multiple sites have exactly the same design, you instantly become less trustworthy. After all, a company that looks as if they do not invest in their site design also gives off the impression that they are unwilling to invest in the products and services they offer.
Is that really the impression that you want to give off?
Custom features
Every single business is different. This is the mindset I have had from the very day that I created Sanders Design all those years ago. This is why I got into creating bespoke web designs.
I really enjoy looking at how different businesses function and creating a site that suits their needs.
Because every single business is different, websites need to be different. I am almost certain that you have a different goal for your website than the goals that your competitors have.
One of the real joys of bespoke web designs is that you are able to add features that are profitable for your business. For example, a hotel may need to have a booking system; a restaurant may need to include an interactive menu; an eCommerce store may need to have some sort of shopping cart option online. Some businesses may need all of these features.
The point is that no business is the same, which means that no website is going to be the same. When you work with me for website design, I will be able to listen to the needs of your company. I will be able to listen to what you want your business to do.
This will allow me to add the features that your business needs to the site in order to make money.
This isn’t really something that you can do with those ‘out of the box’ solutions. You get what you are given, and that is it. You may have a small amount of control over the features, but quite often you will be left with features that your business doesn’t need or, even worse, lacking features that your business does need.
Unique website tailored to your target audience
We have talked a little bit about how important it is to have a unique website and logo for your brand. It helps your company to stand out from the competition. However, there is another reason why you should really be focusing on bespoke web designs here.
Think about the target audience for your website. Every single business is going to be different. The target audience for one website will not interact with a site in the same way as the target audience for another website.
One of my jobs as a web designer is to really try to understand your business. By understanding your business, I will get a feel for what your website visitors will be looking to get from your site. By getting a feel for this, I will be able to create a website that plays into their mindset.
For example, if I feel that the majority of the people that are visiting your website are looking to get in touch, then I will design the site to ensure that getting in touch with you is easy.
If I feel that they are looking to buy from you, then I can create a website that places a heavy focus on getting people to purchase from you online.
You do not get this benefit with an ‘out of the box’ solution. This can cause problems for your site’s conversion rate. After all, if a website visitor can’t work out where they need to head on your website to get the information they need, they will head to one of your competitor’s websites.
A website that grows with your business
If you run a website, then I am pretty confident that your intention is to have your website grow over time. This means more pages added. More content added. More products added. This is easy to do with bespoke web designs.
The bespoke web designs that I create for my clients can easily be expanded as the business grows. I can add new features to the website incredibly quickly. So, for example, if you run a business that doesn’t want to engage in eCommerce quite yet, but then, later on, decides that you want an eCommerce website, I can do that for you.
You will not be able to accomplish this with a site created by a site builder. In fact, many of the sites created by these site builders are not supposed to be grown.
Many of those are limited to just a couple of pages. This means that they will not be fantastic for those who have long-term plans for their site.
Eventually, you will need to be expanding your website, which means that you will need a bespoke design built. Why not just do it correctly from the start?
SEO optimised
One of the real joys of bespoke web designs is that they can be SEO-optimised. This means that they are created in such a way that allows your site to be found a little bit easier in the search engines. Of course, this is going to lead to a lot more visitors which, ultimately, will translate to a bit more money.
One of the reasons why bespoke web designs are SEO-optimised is because they have been created with SEO in mind. This means that ensuring all of the right information is included on the page. It also provides that the site is going to load nice and snappy, particularly on mobile devices.
It is easier to edit the website as the world of SEO changes too. This is because it is easier to access the site’s code and carry out the edits like that.
Better user experience
One of the things that I really focus on when producing my bespoke web designs is the user experience.
It is safe to say that many of those pre-designed websites are all about the beauty rather than the user experience.
They are designed to make a website visitor say ‘wow’ as opposed to actually getting money from the site visitor. This is where I come in.
My designs not only look good, but they have been carefully crafted to make it simple for a website visitor to get from point A to point B on the site. A better user experience means that you are more likely going to get money from your website visitor. So, the bottom line of your business will start to go up.
Conclusion
Now that you know just how important bespoke web designs are for a business that wants to make money, get in touch with me here at Sanders Design today?
I will gladly walk you through the process we use to create some fantastic bespoke web designs. Getting in touch with me today is your first step towards boosting your business income.