When it comes to SEO or search engine optimization, we mostly think about keywords, meta descriptions, and search engines. Sometimes, SEO individuals consider content marketing to improve their SEO efforts, but very few people prioritize website design to improve their SEO strategy. However, the truth is website design plays a crucial role to make or break your business, especially if you are a startup.

Designing your website well can impact how high you rank in Google searches. It also has a vital role in transforming your visitors into customers. So, not revamping your website and making the design SEO friendly can be missed opportunity for you. This means every startup business needs a professionally designed website if its SEO strategy is successful.

Gone are the days when business owners had to invest their time and labor in their business; now, they have an entirely new aspect: their online bottom-line. In today’s cut-throat competition, websites are one of the most significant revenue-generating channels out there. However, a site can be effective only if it is visible. But if a website is not appealing (customer-friendly), it fails to draw customers’ attention, and therefore, the customer retention rate increases.

Why Is Website Design Crucial to Startup SEO?

To simply put, SEO-friendly website design is the way to draw traffic and transform them into potential customers for a startup. It is an organic way to make a startup’s website design as effective as possible. That brings us to how a website design can really make or break SEO for startups.

• The design determines or leaves a significant impact on how your site ranks in search engines. The more your website has an SEO-friendly website, the better it is to rank your site high. Website design also impacts your site visitor’s response as well. After all, first impression matters and no one will look at a poorly designed website.
• A good website has much more to do than just convince the visitors. Remember, you don’t need fancy or creative designs to draw your audience’s attention. Experts recommend a simple professional design that ensures a user-friendly and easy navigation option, and of course, the design is relevant to your business.
• With high-quality and relevant content, you have the power to convince the audience for a revisit. People often misinterpret that adding trending effects to their designs can bring a difference. But the truth is, you should always get your website design done based on the marketing strategies.
• Effects such as sliders and parallax are trending, but these elements only distract the reader and decrease the client retention rates. Also, these effects need additional codes, which slow down the website. So, avoiding these effects can be wise.

With a website design in mind and how it can affect SEO, let’s take a look at what you should consider as a startup while designing a website so that it can pair with SEO and meet your expectation.

Take a Streamlined Approach to Website Design

The best way to ensure that your site is just what it needs to be is to partner with an SEO company on a streamlined website design. Startups especially may not need an overly complicated website design, as they are just starting. The simpler the design is, the more effective it is for you. A streamlined design will work well for your site visitors by offering them an easy-to-navigate site that will get them to the information, products, or services they are looking for.

Quick Load Times Make a Difference

The next thing to consider is the load time. Tied directly to things like a streamlined approach, a startup website with quick loading times, and effective SEO can help rank your site higher and keep people on your site longer. A visitor will never spend more than 3 to 4 seconds visiting your site and getting information about your business. If your site takes more time, they lose interest and click off your site. Having a streamlined and straightforward website design can help to improve overall load times.

Have a Focus on the Mobile Experience

According to research in the third quarter of 2021, more than 47.74% of web traffic in the United States alone came from mobile devices. So, a startup must consider a mobile-friendly approach to their websites so that they can open on any device quickly. In short, the website design should be accessible on all devices, including mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. With an optimized mobile website design, you can create an exceptionally appealing website that draws visitors’ attention and enhance their interest. Since they can access your site from their smartphone or tablet, they can search and find information about your business any time they want. Presenting visitors with a standout browsing experience makes a difference. Google also declares its algorithm ranking using a mobile-first indexing approach to rank sites. This means that Google uses the mobile version of any website to index and rank websites.

Make Use of Concise Calls to Action

Lastly, to make sure that a startup’s website design makes the most of the SEO, incorporate concise and meaningful calls to action. SEO does the work of getting visitors onto the website itself, but keeping them there is another part of the customer experience. Your SEO efforts can place your page in front of the right audience and convince people to visit your website, but that’s just the start of your audience’s customer journey. With a concise Calls to Action, a visitor gets an idea of what they will get on the particular page, what action to take next, whether signing up for a webinar, buying a product, downloading a freebie, or something else. And your visitors can’t do any of that without clicking at least one button.

A call to action should communicate something valuable or important to the customer. This can range from signing up for an email list, finding their way to helpful information, or providing a free download of some kind. A CTA is simply a way to take action and increase your revenue.

There is no denying the fact that Calls to Action play a crucial role. However, don’t get too crazy with the design of your CTAs. It is never recommended to use flashy colors or cheap effects to make your CTAs stand out. Remember, doing this can hurt your conversions because it crushes your credibility. Good website design uses fonts, colors, and visuals tailored to the content and audience, enhancing the visitors’ experience and encouraging them to take action.

Never stop improving

Last but not least, there is no word like “perfect” when it comes to creativity. Website design is much more than aesthetics. It encompasses everything from site structure to usability and other factors, so it significantly impacts your website’s SEO success. So, you should always upgrade your knowledge and increase your thirst for improving your website. Remember, there is always room for improvement. So, track your website’s performance and make changes when necessary.

If you are a startup and want to improve your business and run it successfully online, you can consult with an expert at Web Digital IT Services.