Why You Need Good Design in Marketing Your Business
From your company logo to your website to your product packaging, good design is crucial for effectively marketing any business. But what exactly constitutes “good design”, and why is it so important? In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the critical role design plays in making your business stand out and succeed in a competitive marketplace.
Table of Contents
The Power of First Impressions
Your company's visual identity makes a solid first impression on potential customers. A professional, polished logo immediately communicates that your business is credible and established. On the other hand, a poorly designed logo full of clip art looks amateurish and cheap.
Your logo must also be versatile enough to work across different mediums – from your letterhead to your website to even the side of a company vehicle. A good logo should be memorable, timeless and appropriate for your industry. Think about iconic brands like Nike, Apple, or Coca-Cola. Their simple, elegant logos are vital parts of their brand image.
Treat your company's visual identity as an investment. Hire a talented graphic designer to create a logo and style guide you can implement across all marketing materials. While it may seem expensive upfront, a strong brand image pays off exponentially in the long run by consistently attracting your target audience.
Key Takeaway: Invest in professional logo design and branding to make a stellar first impression.
Design Creates a Connection
Today's consumers have high standards and short attention spans. If a website looks cluttered and disorganised, people will quickly hit the back button without exploring further. However, an intuitive, user-friendly interface invites visitors to stick around and engage with your content.
Clean layouts, easy navigation, compelling visuals and ample white space are hallmarks of good web design. Eliminate unnecessary distractions and clutter. Draw attention to essential elements like calls-to-action with strategic use of colour, size and placement.
Optimising your website for mobile is equally crucial since more than 60% of web traffic now comes from smartphones. Create a responsive site that adapts seamlessly across desktop and mobile. Use minimal scrolling, large tap targets and a mobile-friendly layout.
Key Takeaway: A well-designed website drives engagement by offering an outstanding user experience.
Captivating Visual Content
In our increasingly visual world, eye-catching graphics and photos are essential for catching consumers' attention on social media, in emails, in ads and beyond. From infographics to videos to GIFs, compelling visual content encourages people to stop scrolling and engage with your brand.
But generic stock photos feel impersonal and fail to connect emotionally. Whenever possible, use custom images and videos related to your products or services. Pay a professional photographer to do an on-brand photo shoot. Get video testimonials from genuine customers. Authentic visuals that reflect your brand personality are far more memorable.
Key Takeaway: Unique, high-quality visual content helps forge an emotional bond between your brand and audience.
Good Design Drives Action
What do visitors want to do when they land on your website or view your ad? Good design draws people's eyes to your desired calls to action through strategic placement, contrasting colours and bold fonts.
Put your most important CTA front and centre – like signing up for a newsletter, booking an appointment or downloading content. Eliminate unnecessary navigation options and keep the number of CTAs limited so people are not distracted or overwhelmed.
Craft a brief, benefit-driven call-to-action statement. For example, “Download our free guide to learn five ways to grow your business.” Clarify the following steps and reduce friction to increase conversion rates.
Key Takeaway: Prominent, appealing calls-to-action guide visitors to complete desired actions.
Compelling Product Pages
Your product and service pages should visually showcase offerings while persuading visitors to buy. Great design balances aesthetics and salesmanship.
Use high-quality product photos shot from multiple angles. Include alternate views, close-ups of critical details and pictures of people using the product. This gives potential customers a thorough understanding before purchasing.
Organise copy in concise, scannable sections covering features, product specifications, FAQs, etc. Break up dense blocks of text with subheadings, bullets and images.
Strategically highlight buying options, discounts, or limited-time offers to prompt impulse purchases. Keep forms short and only request essential info to remove friction from the checkout process.
Key Takeaway: Well-designed product pages seamlessly inform and persuade visitors to buy.
Effective Ads
Your ad creative significantly impacts cost-per-click and conversion rates. Ads with distracting content or unclear messaging reduce clicks and waste ad budget.
Stick to a singular focus that conveys your brand, product or offer at a glance. Align visuals and copy to grab attention immediately. For social media ads, include minimal but compelling text – often just a single sentence or phrase.
Remember the 3-second rule. If someone cannot understand your ad within 3 seconds, they will likely keep scrolling. Be concise and immediately convey why users should care.
Test different images, layouts, backgrounds, fonts and calls-to-action to determine what resonates most with your audience. Continually optimise for improved results.
Key Takeaway: Well-designed ads command attention, convey relevance and motivate clicks in seconds.
Design Builds Trust and Credibility
From boxes to bags to labels, custom-branded packaging enhances buyer perceptions of your product's quality and value. Investing in professional packaging design elevates your brand and creates a memorable unboxing experience.
Ensure your packaging aesthetically reflects your brand identity. Maintain consistent colours, fonts and messaging. Include eye-catching photos and illustrations of the product in use, along with essential product information and benefits.
Use quality materials and finishes that match price points. For premium products, choose luxe packaging details like foil stamping. Functional elements like resealable closures or handles also improve user experience.
Key Takeaway: Polished, custom packaging instills buyer confidence and satisfaction.
Authoritative Content
From blog posts to guides to case studies, content is king when establishing expertise and trust. But even the most insightful content needs excellent design to captivate audiences.
Break up text-heavy pages with subheadings, bullets, numbered lists and ample paragraph spacing. Weave in relevant stats and pull quotes to reinforce key points. Use large, high-quality images, charts or graphics that support the content.
Format content in a clean, consistent layout across all pages and posts for a professional look. Maintain on-brand fonts, colours and visual style. This polished presentation strengthens your brand image as a trusted industry leader.
Key Takeaway: Professional design principles applied to content lend credibility and authority.
Transparent About Origins
Consumers increasingly care about the origins of products, from materials sourced to manufacturing conditions to environmental impact.
Showcase sustainability practices and humanise production by featuring photos of people making the product on your website and social media. Illustrate the supply chain with an infographic. Use video clips to give an inside look at operations.
Be upfront about your environmental footprint. Convey eco-friendly practices through certifications like B Corp or clear labelling about recycled materials.
Transparency builds customer trust and loyalty. Savvy design techniques can compellingly communicate your focus on quality and responsibility.
Key Takeaway: Design can powerfully highlight responsible practices to align with customer values.
Why Good Design Is a Smart Investment
Hopefully, this guide has illustrated why good design should be a top priority as you build and market your business. Here are five reasons why investing in design pays long-term dividends:
- Increases Sales: Well-designed products, websites, and ads directly boost conversions and revenue.
- Strengthens Brand: Consistent, professional design creates a memorable identity and positive brand association.
- Attracts Talent: A polished aesthetic communicates that you are an established, credible company and employer.
- Enhances UX: Good design facilitates intuitive interactions that keep customers engaged and satisfied.
- Builds Trust: Design elevates presentation and shows you care about quality and aesthetics.
Regardless of your budget, there are always opportunities to improve your visual branding. Even simple steps like refreshing your colour palette or updating your website template go a long way.
Prioritise working with talented designers who can bring your brand vision to life. Look for ways to implement great design across all touchpoints in the customer journey. With strategic design powering your marketing, you will be well on your path to success.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a small business invest in design?
Even with a limited budget, aim to allocate at least 5% toward design initiatives. Start with foundational brand elements like a logo, typography and colour palette. Next, focus on core assets like your website, product packaging and marketing materials. Good design doesn't have to be expensive. Lean on templates, DIY tools and online freelancers to maximise ROI.
Should I hire in-house designers or use outside agencies?
Hiring in-house designers gives you full-time brand experts but requires significant overhead. Agencies offer targeted expertise and fresh perspectives but lack institutional knowledge. Many businesses use a hybrid approach – keeping a small in-house team for core assets supplemented by agencies for specific initiatives.
How do I brief designers effectively?
Communicate your brand identity and objectives. Provide examples of aesthetics you like and don't like. Give context on your target audience and competitors. Set expectations on timelines and budgets. Provide all required assets and give timely, constructive feedback. The more direction you give, the better the results.
How can I improve website design on a budget?
Take advantage of abundant free and low-cost resources. Refresh your colour scheme and typography using your brand style guide. Swap generic images for relevant stock photos. Improve page layouts and navigation organisation. Eliminate clutter and draw attention to CTAs. Optimise for mobile. Change web host settings to improve speed.
Should my brand have a consistent visual identity?
Maintaining a consistent identity across all touchpoints is ideal, but don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Start with design consistency for core assets like your logo. Over time, aim to align subsidiary elements like social media, ads, content layouts, etc. Consistency communicates professionalism and strengthens familiarity. But focus first on quality design for crucial customer interactions.
