The main reason why design and marketing is today’s topic is that the overall number of devices that can access the internet is estimated to be more than 50 billion by the end of 2020.
While some are IoT (Internet of things) devices, most of these are smartphones, tablets, and other forms of computer devices that can provide human access to the Internet meaning that someone needs to be making the “digital doorways” for human activities on the Internet.
What do design and marketing mean to you as a website owner?
The average website owner must become aware of the fact that people, even elderly people, are now using the internet and it matters how your website is designed, while digital marketing will be the tool that will drive traffic to your business.
Naturally, online businesses that invest more in design and digital marketing will also benefit more from it and stay ahead of the competition, meaning that they most likely make more profit too.
The basics of digital design
The basics of modern digital design are visual appeal and user experience. These two components must complement each other and work together toward the same goal, but we have to discuss them both individually.
Visually appealing digital designs
You need to have an understanding of digital composition that is appealing to your customers and gives your site a unique identity. The elements of an appealing visual design are:
- Visual contrast
- Spacing
- Color composition
- Content positioning (Rule of Thirds)
Visual contrast is necessary so that your text is clearly readable, with having dark text on a white background or vice versa. The same can be said for visual elements, you need visual contrast in the application of color and brightness to make elements distinguishable.
In order to make certain aspects of your visual presentation stand out you should use contrast and create a visual hierarchy that shows viewers where to focus their attention.
For example, having black letters on a white background and smaller gray elements that are of less importance so that they do not get in the focus.
Spacing your content is important because you want to leave some space to differentiate certain elements of your visual composition. Densely packed visual elements will lead to confusion and your customers will have a hard time understanding or finding certain information.
The color composition is important because you do not want to present a peacock palette on your website, but rather stick to a themed scheme of colors, for example, one that resides with your company or business logo.
When choosing colors think of it as setting the mood – choose saturated colors for elements you want your customers to focus while choosing bleak colors for less important elements.
As said previously, keep it simple as too many colors can be distracting or even offensive to the average website visitor.
Content positioning must be used for the purpose of giving emphasis on certain elements of your composition.
The most common Rule of Thirds implies that important elements such as products, services, or announcements should be placed in the middle third of the screen while less important elements should be on the top, bottom, or sides.
The importance of a good design with user experience in mind
The aim of design with user experience in mind is to provide a positive experience that will anticipate the user’s needs and keep them engaged with the product or service.
A meaningful user experience will have the user follow a defined journey that will conclude with a beneficial outcome, albeit a product or service purchase.
The basics of user experience are:
- Ease of use
- Interactive design
- Information design
- Visual design
- Engaging content
A website must be easy to navigate and use, while the user needs to be informed on what part of the website he is using at any moment.
Different elements that are interactive such as buttons, images, animations, and other clickable objects need to be visible clearly. Seasoned interaction design experts will know how to create engaging designs that users love to interact with.
Information design involves providing information about a product, service, or a specific object that is easy to understand and comprehend. Users must be able to find the necessary information, read it quickly, and continue their journey on your website.
As said previously, the visual design must be attractive but not overbearing which can be achieved by using shapes, colors, and other visual effects to draw user attention and keep them entertained.
Content must provide meaningful information and educate, but also entertain the user while important information is formatted specifically so that users will stay engaged with the content longer.
Digital marketing and design
Besides website design, you can employ other forms of digital design through digital marketing channels such as:
- Social media
- Video marketing
- Email marketing
- Content marketing and SEO
Digital marketing relation with social media
Statistics show that social media marketing channels are effective ways to promote both online and brick-and-mortar businesses. More than 54% of social media users will use social media to research a product or service. Even more of them are likely to recommend the brand to others.
Digital marketing with social media that is used to grow a customer base needs you to create original social media content, such as blogs and video, and share it on your social media platforms.
You can utilize platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn with video sharing, photo, or post sharing. Most importantly, you can engage with your audiences by asking questions and promptly receive answers, questions, and comments.
Video marketing as a digital marketing channel
One of the most influential digital marketing channels today is video marketing. High-quality video from a reputable brand has a 70% chance to be shared by customers and 39% of customers will interact with a vendor after viewing the video.
Video marketing is very effective in boosting your traffic and conversions. Video blogs (vlogs), based on your blog content, embed in your blog posts will attract readership and conversion. Videos leverage influence and persuasion to a higher level than the written word.
Email marketing
Still, a very strong digital marketing channel, email marketing enables you to display your company or brand to your customer base every time they receive an email from you.
Targeted emails deliver highly relevant content to a subscriber’s inbox in a non-invasive way, while you get to stay in touch with your customers and inform them of upcoming events, services, or new product offerings.
Build up a customer email database and be sure to have it updated frequently. Personalize the emails and have a clear call to action to improve click-through rates.
Content marketing and SEO as a digital marketing channel
Different promotional contents are blog posts, infographics, news, checklists, case studies, webinars, guides, and how-to articles.
Think about which ones you should be used as the most effective means of speaking to your target audience. We can recommend that you communicate with them and ask for their feedback so that you can provide them with the great content they desire, and then promote your business with it.
Content that is delivered consistently with high-quality articles and posts will entice your customers to read but also to share it to others. While this type of traffic is unpaid and generated by users who find your website organically after using search engines, it makes the most impact.
Finally, this kind of content is great for SEO as search engines have a goal to provide answers to a query and will love to provide your information to the user search query, meaning it’s a win-win for everyone.
Should you employ a design and digital marketing expert?
The Internet is a level playing field where both large and small companies can reach their customer base, as long as they follow the rules of design and digital marketing.
Large companies can afford much higher marketing budgets, but this should not dissuade you from providing your own online content and empowering your business with digital marketing.
Yes, you can do it yourself, you can work on the design and improve your website while creating new content and distributing it through digital channels, but if you are a busy business owner then the best choice would be to employ an agency that will handle your design and digital marketing.
Understandably, professionals will be able to provide your business with a higher level of benefit, while you can focus on your business and increase profit.