Your website serves as the face of your organization on the internet. Depending on your business, it may be the only method of interaction that your customers have with your company.

If, for some reason, your website is not visually appealing or gets too technical for clients to use- you risk losing customers, and it could lead to a potential downfall in your business.

Truth be told, putting together a website all by yourself is a big deal. Of course, it gets more manageable if you’re a professional web designer or coder, but most business owners aren’t. When you attempt to DIY your website, you are taken away from the business tasks that you excel in and often waste countless hours debugging and troubleshooting with a process or software that you don’t understand.

I’m positive that you want to make sure your website can create the best impression with your clients. So, here are the top 8 reasons why you should hire a web designer.

1. You Get a High-quality Premium Website

As you know, there are many website templates available on the web, and if you want, you can use them just fine. But being readily available on the web means everyone has access to those, and many use them for their websites.

A professional web designer can offer you a unique-looking, top-of-the-line website that will help you stand out amidst the crowd.

2. Save Your Time (time=$)

Making a good-looking, functional, and easy-to-use website is a technical job. If you’re planning to build it on your own, you’ll need absolute expertise in every aspect. It’s going to take a long time and effort for you to build up your website from scratch.

A good web designer knows how to quickly and efficiently build up a website, so you don’t have to. Instead, you can spend this time and effort on other aspects of your business.

3. Elevate Your Business Above Your Competition

In this highly competitive era, an excellent first impression is an absolute necessity. Every sector of online marketplaces is flooded with a massive amount of people.

So whether you’re planning to sell your products online or starting a new business, be sure to face a ton of competition. For someone not very familiar with how it all works, it can get very daunting.

For example, generating a lot of traffic for the website, designing a modern and slick user interface, or building up a functioning eCommerce section are challenging tasks.

That’s why you hire a web designer – they’ll give you confidence about your website. They’ll design and streamline your website, so your internet traffic stays at its peak. People tend to get services from websites that look and function better than the rest.

4. You’ll Have a Responsive, Mobile Friendly Design

In this day and age, people are not confined to using personal computers anymore. Instead, a growing number of people frequently use their phones and tablets to get online.

A good web designer will design your website with keeping these mobile viewers in mind. This means that your website will look good and function well on all devices, computers, and mobiles alike. If your website is not mobile-friendly for some reason, you could very well lose a potential chunk of customers.

5. The Ability to Deliver Your Message Properly

One of the top benefits of a web designer is their expertise in delivering your message to the customer. In addition, they can make your brand relatable through the use of graphics, colors, fonts, or everything in between.

Every good website should have a consistent, coherent, and easy-to-understand message that customers can relate to.

6. Your Website will be Search-Engine Friendly

One of the main factors that will keep your website ahead of the crowd is optimizing it for search engines. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a potent tool that will give you a competitive edge over many similar websites.

A good web designer will optimize your website, increasing the chance for your website to end up high on the search list. As people use search engines for basically everything, staying at the top is of utmost importance for your website.

7.Get a Dependable & Bug-free Design

A professionally created website offers you the comfort of reliable and bug-free experience for your customers. This will help you in the long run. Maybe you can cover all the topics mentioned above, but keeping a website running without bugs is a challenging task.

If you experience an error for some reason, fixing it on your own will consume both your time and your money. For example, if your website is down for hours at an end, you could potentially lose hundreds, or even thousands of dollars, depending on your business.

You can avoid this pitfall if you let a professional design and manage your website. Managing a business is stressful enough- don’t put extra pressure on yourself by attempting to maintaining a website on your own.

When and When Not to Hire a Web Designer

For most people, hiring a web designer will always be better than doing it yourself.

You should get a web designer for your website if:

• You’re think of your website as an investment in your business
• You want to get online as soon as you can
• You’re busy with the daily operation of your business
• You want someone to partner with you in the design & development process

Although, there are some instances when you might consider skipping the whole idea.

You may skip hiring a web designer if:

• You’re more concerned about your budget than your brand presentation
• You’re comfortable in web development
• You don’t mind waiting a few months to get up and running online

Final Words

Web designing is a time-consuming and laborious process. In this highly competitive day and age of the internet, your business cannot excel without a proper website.

A web designer will help you get up and running online (quickly!), and you’ll be able to  focus on other aspects of your business. I’ve tried providing you with reasons as to why you should hire a web designer and I hope it helps you make an intelligent decision that you feel good about.

Bonus Reason!

Adapting to New Web-Standards & Technology

The web is evolving and improving itself every day. A good web designer keeps track of all the new web standards and can implement them to your websites. At Inspired Melissa, we get regular calls from business owners in a panic because their site has gone down, and we are quick to help them recover their site. When you work with a professional web designer, your site will be kept up-to-date, stay functional, secure, and with any luck, your designer will help you add new and improved features to your website according to your needs.

More than a decade ago, internet-savvy individuals would usually surf the web using desktop computers. Fast forward to 2021 and most of the world with online access view the digital landscape as an integral part of daily life — for businesses and consumers — but the stratospheric rise of smaller screens paved the way for a new medium for browsing.

In recent years, people now heavily rely on mobile devices — be it a smartphone or a tablet — to search the net. While industries have long embraced the role of websites in growing one’s business, most forget to incorporate mobile responsiveness in their site.

You may be wondering why a responsive website can make a difference in your bottom line, that’s why we’re here to show you how a mobile-friendly web design can set you up for success:

Increases Site Usability and Readability

A responsive web design means your website can smoothly adjust its interface and all its contents using different devices. Since consumers can easily switch between screens without noticing any difference in the resolution, layout, or navigation, you can guarantee seamless site usability for all your readers.

Boosts Conversion Rate

Thanks to the improved site usability, a responsive website can create a positive user experience, which means your consumers have little-to-no hindrances in their buyer’s journey. With highly readable content, a smooth-flowing layout, and a mobile-friendly site that functions flawlessly on smaller devices, your website has higher chances of converting visitors into curious consumers.

Improves SEO Ranking

Both the benefits mentioned above tip the odds in your favor, particularly in improving your ranking in search engines. Google often prioritizes responsive websites since it can crawl your site with a higher likelihood of solving content issues, allowing you to iron out mistakes and reach a better standing in search results.

Future-Proofs You Against New Mobile Devices

Since a responsive web design ensures your site can function to new screens without a hitch, you can gain confidence knowing that your website can be sustainable for years to come since you don’t necessarily have to adjust your code to suit new devices.

The Bottom Line: A Responsive Website Leaves A Positive Impact and Widens Your Market Reach 

Leaving a mark in a saturated, digital marketplace feels like an arduous effort, but we can help you increase your rank by integrating results-driven and SEO-friendly design elements into your website.

Ensuring your website is mobile responsive, in this case, can put your brand on the digital map and access a broader range of potential customers — all because your site can adjust seamlessly no matter the size of the screen!

How Can Our Website Design Agency in the USA Improve Your Website Strategy and Boost Your Online Presence?

We see the gap in the landscape, that’s why here at Inspired Melissa, we empower women-owned businesses so aspiring entrepreneurs and boss babes can flourish in their venture.

If you need help with SEO optimization, link building, and designing a responsive website, contact us today at 541-280-3642 to see how we can help propel your business forward in the industry.

Every online entrepreneur should keep in mind that the website is the front page that gives the first impression to potential customers. The way your website looks and performs can tell a lot about your company. This is why a website should not only be properly designed but also well-maintained.‌

The following are some tips on how you can keep your website updated and maintained properly:

Update your plugins

Outdated plugins can put your website at risk of cyber threats and poor performance. It is important to update your plugins because they work well with newer website versions. Some plugins may be no longer compatible with the website’s themes and functionality. Also, cyber hackers can easily infiltrate your website and acquire sensitive information.

Remember to back up everything before downloading any new plugin to make sure that the website will restore to its previous data in case something breaks during the update.

Backup your website

Check all the important files that you have on your computer. If there are files that may cause problems if you were to lose them, it would be advisable to back them up in the cloud or another external device. A website can crash or go down completely; thus, creating a backup for all your files is necessary.

Always check for broken links

Indeed, nobody wants to encounter a ‘404 Error.’ This is frustrating for website visitors and may also cause several major implications to the business. Broken links should be fixed because Google’s web crawlers will take note of them and adversely impact your ranking.

If your website only has a few pages, you can do a manual checking to find broken links. However, if it’s a large website, the help of a tool or an expert should be sought. All links in the website should work properly to improve user experience and online visibility.

Update your passwords

This is a strategy that is very crucial for online marketing but often overlooked. Make sure to change or update your passwords. Doing so will help maintain the integrity and quality of your brand. Keep your website secured and safe by changing or updating your passwords twice a year. You must also ensure that the new login details are unique. This will hinder hackers from accessing your website and get critical information.

Check the speed of your page.

A slow-loading page can impact customer satisfaction negatively. Website users will leave the page if it takes more than 4 seconds to load. Yes, a slow website can result in a high bounce rate and a decrease in sales and conversions. Various factors contribute to the slow loading of a website, such as media files that are too large and some scripts on a page.

Scan for malware regularly

Hackers are always searching for websites that are easy to infiltrate. Sometimes, even one of the most popular websites can be a victim of cyberattacks. Your website may already be vulnerable, and unfortunately, you may not yet know it.

Running malware scans on a regular basis can be a big help. It can help identify suspicious files so that you can remove them immediately. Make sure that you receive an “all clear” result before creating a backup of your website. This will keep it healthy and safe from possible cyberattacks.

Conclusion

Website maintenance is a vital element to keep your business up and running. Avoid neglecting your website to avoid possible issues in the future. By doing the tips mentioned above, you can ensure to keep your business’s positive reputation and improve customers’ satisfaction.

If you’re looking for reliable website maintenance services, you need to seek help from experts. Our team at Inspired Melissa can provide you with effective strategies when it comes to creating responsive websites and other online marketing techniques. Get in touch with us today!

Living as a woman is difficult. Let’s face it—society has been designed for men to cater to men, to benefit no one else but men. In any area of life, the world will always gravitate toward men; but this time, women are fighting to challenge the status quo!

The Manly World of Business

Most consider business to be a man’s world, something you leave to the men to handle, with their ironed neckties and expensive suits. However, with their sharp heels and even sharper intellect, female entrepreneurs have begun to shatter the glass ceiling, dominating the male-centered society and showing the world what it means to be a female in power.

The Challenges of Female Entrepreneurs

Any business owner is bound to face many difficulties, but as a female entrepreneur, expect that you will have your own set of challenges that only apply to women.

Lack of Funding

While every entrepreneur has hardships in securing funding, women find it harder to get loans than men. Due to gender and cultural biases, some banks may be more hesitant about approving loans for women-owned businesses.

Work-Life Balance

Although society has greatly progressed, the societal and cultural norms towards parenting remain. Mothers find it more difficult to advance in their careers, much less own a business, because they are expected to fulfill their maternal responsibilities.

Compared to fathers and husbands, women carry the heavier burden of balancing their work and family lives. This makes it much more challenging to focus on managing their business, thus hindering its growth.

Unfavorable Work Environment

Gender bias plays a crucial role in managing a business. To female entrepreneurs, their gender alone impedes them from expanding their network, attracting investors, and even gaining customers. 

How You Can Achieve Success

Running a business as a woman is twice as complicated, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a fighting chance! If you want your business to succeed, you have to believe in your abilities, surround yourself with supportive and talented people, and always be willing to ask for help when you need it. 

One of the keys to having a successful business is making the most out of every opportunity. With today’s technological advancements and social media prevalence, you have to build your online presence and make your business known in the virtual world.

Investing in Your Business Website

A website is an integral part of your business, especially in today’s modern society. It can help you generate sales, gain loyal customers, and make your business known to thousands of people from all over the world! 

The quality of your website can significantly affect your business. It has to be accessible, attractive, and user-friendly—all so that your customers will keep going back to purchase your products and services!

Hiring a Web Design Agency

Managing your website on top of running the business isn’t easy, especially if you’re just starting out. Given that situation, having a web design agency can help you with your predicament! You don’t always have to shoulder everything on your own—there are many web design agencies out there that have skilled professionals and are willing to support female-owned businesses like yours.

A web designer has enough experience and knowledge about today’s digital market. They can help you develop a strategic online plan and create a website that’s not only attractive but also reliable and responsive. Hiring a web design agency gives you the competitive advantage you need to stay ahead of the game and eventually rise to the top!

Conclusion

Running a business is not easy, but being a woman on top of running a business is even more challenging! If you want your business to succeed, you must rise above every problem and difficulty and utilize every tool within your reach.

Your website is one of the essential tools you must utilize to guarantee the growth of your company. Collaborate with a great web design agency that knows just what to do to make your website stand out from the competition and help you become the best.

Are you struggling to manage your business and doing it all on your own? Inspired Melissa can help! Inspired Melissa is a creative advertising and marketing management agency for women-owned businesses. You can count on me to create custom strategies to help you achieve your goals, be it through website design or SEO marketing. I’ll be right there with you through every step and state of your prosperous and growing business. Visit my website and book a discovery call today!