First Impressions Matter: Is Your Website Dressed to Impress?

Would you go on a first date without trying to look nice? Probably not… you would find the right outfit, select the perfect perfume or cologne, and make sure your teeth and hair are brushed at a minimum.

So why is it that, when it comes to websites, businesses often forget to put their best foot forward?

It’s true — a website alone will not make your business. You need a service or product that people value, a competent team that can deliver, and trust with your prospects.

However, as much as we might wish otherwise, first impressions matter.

It’s impossible to know how much business you’ve missed out on because your dream clients couldn’t find you… or were turned off by what they saw when they did.

When you send clients to your website, you are inviting them into a portal that represents your firm. It is the first or second layer that a prospect encounters in their experience with you. It is their gateway into your world.

What kind of experience do you want to give them?

Your website is your virtual office — ever more important in today’s “phy-gital” world that blends physical and digital touchpoints. To maintain a consistent identity with your clients and prospects, it is critical that your website design reflects your brand’s DNA.

If you provide a high-touch, bespoke service to clients or investors, your website should be elegant and simple, teasing the full offer without revealing every detail. Clean, sharp lines and a classic color palette with hints of color sprinkled throughout send the message that you are attuned to detail and subtleties. You still need to provide all the essential information, but the design makes it clear that the real experience comes later, once the client is allowed access inside your world.

If you’re servicing a wider array of clients or customers, then rounded lines, charming visuals, and happy colors announce that you are warm, accessible, and open for business. The website should take the prospect on a clear journey that answers their objections and offers ample social proof. It’s important not to go overkill on the information here either — the key is to offer enough to answer who you serve, what problem you address, how you do it, and why your firm’s solution is superior.

No matter who you serve, a potential client needs to immediately understand what you do, whether your offering might be a good fit for them, and how to contact you to learn more.

The copywriting and design techniques that help prospects decide that they need your service or product are numerous. And the exact way in which your brand’s DNA converts to copy and design on a website is as unique as your firm itself. While the components that you need to include are the same across companies, the manner in which this is achieved depends on your brand’s specific tradition, target client, and touchpoints.

At Élever Partners, we offer web design and copywriting expertise to help you through this process. Like renovating a house, a visual identity makeover might feel overwhelming at first. Luckily our method is a lot faster — and we take care of all the graphic and copy details so you can focus on delivering excellence to your clients, investors, and customers.

Would you invite someone who might invest $3M into your firm to an office full of clutter? If you were about to go on a date with your dream partner, would you show up sweaty after a workout? I imagine that would be a hard no… so why would you leave your website looking undone?

Let us know how we can help by emailing info@eleverpartners.com.