Digital marketing is now the cornerstone of the industry. Across every field, digital marketing is employed in great numbers as every company now has at least one digital component.
With every company having, at the very least, a website, the importance of digital marketing is now arguably greater than that of physical marketing. It is much easier to reach a wider base and is effective due to its inherent persistence.
How then does a company stand out on the digital frontier? By having the best website possible of course. This doesn’t mean a site with the latest widgets or the newest in fast action forms. No, typically it means a site is designed beautifully with the customer in mind.
Digital marketing and web design are truly perfect parallels. The goal of marketing is acquiring an audience and the best way to do that is with the best web design you can muster.
Storytelling is becoming more important
Building rapport with customers has always been the main aim of marketing. Throughout the marketing ages, advertising experts have thought up clever ways of relating their products to their target consumer.
Web design is transforming the power of storytelling and the ability to instantly connect with consumers. When users visit a company website, they immediately get a feel for the brand. How? They make snap judgments based on the ease-of-use of a website.
Essentially, the user experience on a company website is just as important, if not more important than traditional marketing efforts. Brands can immediately make an emotional connection, building loyalty, trust, and a rapport.
Content is king: How web designers continue to change the game
Since storytelling takes center stage, so does content. You can’t build an effective story without a wealth of content. Web design is leaning toward creating more content, building a brand image around videos, blog articles, and effective copy.
So, while you may think that web design is only affecting user experience design and user interface design, it’s actually affecting how digital marketing is done. Web design is more than just the look or the feel of a website. It is how deep the content goes, the story it tells, and how it an online audience interacts with that content.
Content is infused with web design and is becoming a more prominent concern for marketers as well. Great web designers are shaping the context around which we build digital marketing campaigns by creating deep, engaging experiences for users.
Web design affects overall brand image
One of the most obvious ways web design affects digital marketing: presentation and perception. A company website is its digital storefront. As such, web design is a marketing tool in and of itself. It perpetuates the image and style of a brand.
Brand loyalty can be cultivated through web design. If a website is easy to navigate and understand, users are more likely to find the brand higher quality. Users are loyal to high-quality brands.
In addition, users are more likely to be satisfied with their experience if a website is easier to use. And, the easier the site is to use, the more conversions you can expect.
In essence, web design can be a tool used throughout the entire marketing funnel, from beginning a conversation about your brand to closing a sale.
Conclusion
Advancements in UX, UI, and web design, push the importance of inbound marketing, content marketing, and storytelling. Web design is actively shaping how digital marketing is done and what digital marketing objectives take priority.
Web designers are creating deep, meaningful experiences by coupling efficient web design and engaging content. As a result, digital marketers are more concerned with content marketing, building empathy, and exploring inbound marketing channels.
Most important, web design directly affects how people perceive your brand. If a site is easy to use, easy to navigate, and easy to interact with, users will report higher rates of satisfaction. What’s more: they are more likely to view a brand a trustworthy, effective, and high quality if a site is easy to navigate and pleasing to peruse.
Ultimately, the relationship between web design and digital marketing is a complex one. In the end, it’s a conversation between designers, marketers, and end users. It’s not a perfect process, but it is one that is constantly responding, adapting and evolving.
