Establishing or building on your online presence is exciting for any small business owner or marketing professional. You’ll have the potential to reach more customers, show that you’re a credible (and up-to-date) business, and provide helpful resources for prospects trying to solve a problem. 

If you’re wondering if it’s worth it to hire a web designer, you’re not alone. Many small business leaders worry about fitting a new website into their budget, finding the right agency, or relying on someone else to bring their brand vision to life.

But whether you’re creating your first website or redesigning an existing one, here are seven reasons why hiring a web designer will help your business:

1. Your website will be strategic…

It’s essential to start with strategy when creating or redesigning your site because, by itself, pretty web design won’t sell anything. Your website has eight seconds, max, to get someone’s attention with a clear layout and messaging. If a reader can’t quickly understand how you can help them — and what they have to do to work with you — they’ll move on. 

But by hiring a web designer who understands the strategic flow of a site, you’ll help customers who land on your page immediately learn who you are, what you do, how you can help them, and what they should do next. Your web designer will also include a header, body, call-to-action, and footer on every page to guide the reader toward a buying decision.

What’s more, a strategic website will serve as a 24/7 salesperson. Since people are browsing their devices all hours of the day, it’s possible for them to find your company and click “Buy Now” or “Schedule a Consultation” at any time. In other words, with a strategic website built by a professional, you could literally bring in new customers while you sleep!

2. …but it’ll also be beautiful!

While strategy should come first in web design, your site should also be visually appealing so it can make a great first impression on your visitors. You’ll want to avoid cluttering the page with large, ugly text blocks that readers will struggle through. On the other hand, a gorgeous photo with no context on the home page won’t help anyone understand how your business can assist them.

A professional designer will understand how certain colors, text layouts, and other visual elements work together to form a beautiful website that’s easy on the eyes. They can also help you choose the right images to complement the text and help the reader visualize how your company can help them solve a problem or address a need.

3. You’ll have a unique and cohesive brand.

Hiring a web designer can help you create a truly unique website, not a lookalike template that other businesses can use. A professional can work with you to incorporate your logo, company colors, messaging, and other elements so your website is cohesive with your other marketing and brand elements.

And a website that’s visually unique from others in your industry is a great way to stand out in a sea of online businesses. This is especially valuable if you have several competitors in your area. When you design a professional website that’s not exactly like theirs, your prospects will notice the difference and become curious about your company.

With a web designer on your team, you can also incorporate custom features that make your website as unique as your business. These might include products with different variations, a menu with expanding drop-down options, or a login portal for members.

4. Your customers can easily find you online.

33% of consumers go online every day to find and shop small businesses. With a strategic website that ranks well in Google (and other search engines), you’ll get your name in front of more prospects who can learn about your offerings and make a buying decision. 

A web designer can help you do this by optimizing your website with keywords your audience might use when looking for a product or service that your small business provides. On the first page of Google results, you’ll see websites that best answer a particular query. For example, if you’re a Lafayette, Indiana bakery, your best customers are likely searching for “bakery in Lafayette, Indiana” (or something like that). 

A designer will make sure that “bakery in Lafayette, Indiana” (or whatever keyword you choose) appears in the page title, meta description, and content. With this search engine optimization (SEO), they could even get your website on Google’s first results page. That’s pretty helpful when you consider the fact that the first page’s top three results get 75% of the clicks from online shoppers!

5. You’ll have a responsive, user-friendly site.

You want a website that’s not only easy to find, but also easy for anyone to use on any device. That’s because 81% of consumers have smartphones that let them browse the internet and contact companies anytime, anywhere. Plus, 61% of smartphone users are more likely to buy from a small business if it has a mobile-friendly website.

A web designer can help you build a responsive site that supports browsing on computers and mobile devices. And if customers can find your website on mobile, Google will rank your site higher than businesses with non-responsive sites. That means more prospects can find you, buy from you, and have a positive experience with your brand.

Your designer can also add user-friendly features to help customers navigate your desktop and mobile site, including:

• A menu without too many drop-downs
• Easy ordering and checkout on any device
• Short paragraphs and high-resolution images
• And more

6. You’ll save time on design and maintenance.

Creating service pages, product listings, and blog content takes a lot of time — something most business leaders already don’t have much of. You’re an expert at running your company, but you may be less skilled in writing and/or designing. And that’s okay! 

Hiring a web designer to take this work off your plate will free up the time you need to run and grow your business. They can also help you troubleshoot and correct issues like broken links or code errors before they impact your website (and customers). When you can rely on a professional designer to assist you with web maintenance, you can focus on growing your business instead of trying to figure out website problems all by yourself.

7. You can make more money in the long run.

A website that isn’t designed with strategy in mind can hurt your business more than you might think: 

• 70% of online shoppers say they won’t buy from a website with poor design.
• 53% of customers leave mobile sites that don’t load within three seconds.
• 61% of users won’t go back to a poorly designed mobile site, and 40% of them will turn to a competitor.

These statistics aren’t meant to scare you, but rather to make you aware of how many potential customers you could miss out on without a strategic website. On the other hand, a professionally designed site can attract more prospects, keep them on your site, and encourage them to buy from you.

While hiring a web designer may cost more than a DIY or in-house solution, you won’t have to take time out of the workday to design a website. Instead of losing time (and revenue), you can increase traffic and sales with a strategic website from a trained professional.

By hiring a strategic web designer for your business, you can:

• Attract new customers
• Simplify buying decisions
• Stop wasting time
• Increase sales

There’s a lot of responsibility that goes into growing a business, from creating a strategic website to operating your company each day. If you’re looking for web design assistance, a marketing agency can help you reach new prospects while saving you time and worry.

Our proven marketing protocol helps companies make more money, free up time, and plan an effective strategy.

Treefrog Marketing is an agency in Lafayette, Indiana focused on small business. We specialize in strategic marketing and advertising, graphic design, web design, social media, SEO, and more. For more information, visit our website and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.