Business owners understand the power of a well-designed website to attract new and repeat customers. However, creating and updating websites can be challenging, especially for small businesses. A recent survey by Adobe sheds light on small-business owners’ priorities and aspirations when revamping their websites. This article will review the study’s findings and explore how small-business owners plan to leverage website design to boost their businesses.

Searching for web design

Before diving into the small-business web design world, Adobe did some digging to discover general website designs, search trends across the country. In the past 12 months, Google search volume for “best website design” shot up 1.950%, and queries for “customizable website builders” increased by 800%. This data suggests Americans are increasingly interested in website design and, more specifically, easy, do-it-yourself website design.

Americans are also interested in affordable website design. Searches for “monthly website costs” rose 150%, and searches for “average cost of SEO” went up 140%. Designing, hosting, and managing a website can require a decent budget, but the importance of good website design cannot be overstated, especially for businesses with an online presence.

Designed for marketing

A website is often a customer’s first introduction to the services and products of a business. As such, 46% of small-business owners said design was the most important aspect of website creation. Marketing company owners were even more invested in good design, as 68% felt it was the most important factor.

Second to design, 43% of small-business owners identified marketing as the most important aspect when designing a website. Optimizing their website for marketing allows small businesses to create a seamless user experience, clearly communicate their values, and drive customer engagement.

Design and marketing go hand-in-hand in website creation, as a well-designed website showcases products and services, shares valuable content, and captures leads. An effective website is a powerful marketing tool and offers a solid foundation for future marketing campaigns.

Revamping strategies

A website needs to stay ahead of design and marketing trends to remain effective, as an outdated website can easily make customers doubt the legitimacy of a business. To that end, the Adobe study found that 53% of small-business owners had plans to revamp their website in the coming year.

The three main areas owners hoped to improve with a website revamp were as follows:

• Increased SEO (48%)
• Improved marketing capabilities (42%)
• Enhanced design (38%)

With these goals in mind, small-business owners had some questions about their websites. The biggest area owners had questions in was marketing: 40% had questions regarding search engine optimization (SEO), and 37% had questions about marketing strategies. Additionally, 33% of small-business owners had questions about cost, and 31% had questions about design.

These questions and aims to align with general business objectives like attracting organic traffic, optimizing user experience, and projecting a professional and trustworthy brand image. By focusing on these core elements, small businesses can establish a strong online presence and capture the attention of their target audience.

That said, a strong website should not be a business’s only marketing strategy. To solidify the efforts of their website redesigns, 42% of small-business owners also had plans to revamp their marketing efforts this year. For many owners, social media was a key focus of future marketing strategies, with revamped websites playing a pivotal role in planned campaigns. Once their new website launches, 58% of small-business owners plan to run social media promotions to drive traffic to their new site and gain new customers.

Upgrading designs and gaining customers

Small-business owners are utilizing exceptional website design to support their marketing efforts. The findings from the Adobe survey provide a peek into small-business owners’ aspirations and challenges in revamping their online presence.

Business owners can position themselves for success by prioritizing website design, marketing goals, and SEO. They can also integrate social media promotions into their website revamps to increase brand awareness and maintain brand consistency. Social media promotions can also drive traffic to their new site to help businesses gain customers.

With the right approach to website revamps and marketing strategies, small businesses can increase visibility, acquire more customers, and thrive in the competitive digital landscape of today’s marketplace.

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