At a time when e-commerce and online shopping have become the norm for many consumers, local businesses have remained steadfast in their quest for success. These establishments continue to attract customers, with some even enjoying steady foot traffic. 

While many of these local companies have been operating for years with a minimal online presence, it can’t be denied that the industry has been significantly affected by digital media. Local businesses need to adapt to the changes, particularly in terms of online presence, customer engagement, social media, and websites. 

Local businesses, also known as brick-and-mortar stores or shops, are companies or organizations that focus their production locally. The business can be owned by a local or is part of a corporate group serving different locations. Some of these establishments may already have Facebook pages and other social media presence. However, many still do not have one of the most important modern-day marketing strategies: a website.   

With a website, local businesses will increase their online visibility. People who visit the site get a closer look at the brand, and through word-of-mouth, the information is passed on to other consumers. This scenario is just one example of what a website can do for local businesses. However, creating a website is not an overnight thing. Some aspects to consider include content, speed, branding, site structure, and other web design essentials. A lot of time, resources, and skills go into every website design, and there are many reasons for this.  

Modern website design is necessary for local businesses for many reasons.  

Online is where most of the customers are. It’s essential to create a good first impression. 

Modern website design is ideal for local businesses because it creates an excellent first impression. People visit websites to find more information about a brand they’re interested in. Imagine the first impression this scene will make: a potential client visits your website, and all he finds are photos scattered lazily all over the page, very little relevant content, and only a few sentences about the company and its products. That first impression will stick with the visitor, and this is what he’ll share with his family, friends, and colleagues. 

Google says it takes a person only 0.05 seconds to form a first impression. So, create a well-designed website with relevant content. Create a first impression that will make people want to visit your website as often as they can. 

Modern web design gives your brand credibility.

Websites with modern designs and a professional look are the ones that attract visitors. These well-designed sites also make brands look credible, so people find it easy to trust the product (or service). A poorly designed, hastily-created website, on the other hand, will make visitors think twice about continuing to the site. Some of them will believe that the business or brand is fake or selling something illegal. 

For example, if a consumer visits a website that sells golf clubs, he’ll expect to see images, videos, and content displaying its products. What do you think he will do if the site contains just links to other pages that feature their product – or one that’s similar to theirs? The consumer will feel deceived, and all because the website designer, and probably the company representatives, were too lazy to come up with creative design and content for the site. 

A good website makes visitors feel secure. Every person who visits your website should feel confident that they’ve found what they were looking for. One of the best ways to do this is to integrate your brand – logo, style, colors, and relevant content. Also, give them the information they need – brand background story, features, benefits, and how to purchase, among others. 

Modern website design helps build your brand. 

As stated above, significantly feature your brand on your website. Use the logo, style, and colors your consumers are already familiar with. By exposing your local brand online, more people will discover it, effectively increasing your target reach. It is even possible to connect to consumers from outside your local area. 

Consistency is also an essential factor in building your brand. Don’t forget to use the same layouts and font styles and sizes in your site’s other pages. Creating different designs for every page will make your website look like a circus, and visitors might not take your brand seriously. 

Good web design can help you get ahead of the competition. 

Most of your competitors probably have websites of their own by now. If you want to stay in the competition, you need to have your site, too. If you want to stand out and get ahead of everybody else, make sure your website is well-designed, constantly updated, and modern. Otherwise, all your customers and leads will move to your competitors.  

Modern website design has lasting value.

Newspaper and magazine ads, Yellow Pages listings, and even Facebook ads are often one-time investments. When you place an ad in a magazine or on Facebook, it will run for a specific time only, so after the ad has completed its exposure, you cannot get back the money you invested in it. If you did not get an ROI (return on investment) while it was running, there is no guarantee that you still can. 

Modern-designed websites are the ideal option because they are there forever. So, you pay for it once, but it continues to work and generate profit for your business. If your site or content does not give you an ROI after the first few months or in a year, you can tweak it a little – and you’ll have an entire lifetime to get back what you invested. 

Modern web designs are mobile-friendly.

Billions of people worldwide use their mobile devices for their online activities, so websites have to display and work well on tablets and smartphones. Modern web designers know this; that’s why they build mobile-friendly websites.

If your modern website is mobile-friendly, your local business will get more visits, and prospects can turn to profits. Since Google now focuses on mobile-indexing for websites, your site is bound to rank high up in search results pages.

If you want your local business to flourish, give it a website. If you want your local brand’s site to attract and engage a flow of regular visitors, get in touch with a web designer experienced in creating well-designed modern websites.

About the Author

Gabby Klesser is the Outreach Manager for LA Website Design, a digital marketing agency that has assembled a team of expert web designers and digital marketing strategists. She often writes about web design, UX, social media, technology, marketing, and starting a non-profit.