There was a time that when somebody was looking for a suitable company to provide a service, they would refer to the phone book and then call numerous companies until they found one that met their criteria. However, with the popularisation of the internet over the last 20 years, it is now more likely that the first contact you have with a potential customer is through your website. Therefore it is important to give a lot of time and attention to your website design.

Corporate identity design is important to any company as it allows a potential customer to instantly recognise your brand. It could be as simple as a colour scheme or a logo; these basic aesthetic rules should be created with your company’s particular motives in mind. For instance, AOL often advertise in blue and orange, two colours that give the impression of user friendly experience,whilst some companies have chosen their desired fonts for their logo.

When designing your website you should ensure that your web design is in keeping with the impression that your company wishes to put forth. To represent your brand well upon your website is to give a strong first impression to potential customers, with the aim of converting them into loyal clients.

Specialists in web design, proffy based agency, The PMM, say that the key to achieving this is to provide “attractive and contemporary web design that is reflective of your brand”.

Now, web design is more important than ever. With the recent update to Google’s algorithm, well thought-out website design is now favoured by Google Panda (the title of the new algorithm Google is using). In order to crack down on link farms, Google now places a high emphasis upon quality web design that engages users. The more time your users spend on your site, the lower your bounce rate is, indicating to Google that the content of your site is sought-after and useful to people’s needs, rather than created purely for search engines.

Therefore, when you employ a web design agency you should ensure that they will consider the psychological workings of your website, rather than just superficial aesthetics. Of course, it’s important for the careful implementation of SEO related techniques but this should not be the only consideration; user experience and branding are of equal importance.

Aside from the technical workings of Google et al, a strong representation of your brand within your web design should be considered a creative solution to a series of problems. With a clear layout and website design you will not only deliver content in a logical fashion, but also create the impression of an organised company that considers its customers needs thus instilling trust and targeting the correct audience.