Many business owners and online marketers want a website that would help them succeed online and get more conversions and sales. Though they are not experts, they know what is good for their websites. They also know that a functional website design can help them get more unique visitors and user engagement.

If you have invested your time, money and efforts, but still didn’t get a website that can unlock your profit potential, then it’s a high time to do it right. Here are six secrets of a functional yet credible website design and knowing them can save you thousands of dollars, time and energy.

1. A Great Design Doesn’t Bring in Sales, Functionality Does

Almost every website owner wants their website look professional and great while creating visual impact with visitors. But do you know only good looks and pretty design elements are not enough to bring in sales. Your website’s main purpose is to present your business to visitors and welcomes them, guide them to where they want to go and introduce them to points of interest.

But it doesn’t mean that an appealing web design is bad. If you can have a great website design along with other features that can get results, then you should go for it. However, if there is a situation where you have to choose between great design and functionality aspects that get results, stick with the second option. Creating an award winning design is good, but trust me it doesn’t work for you if it is not functional and easy-to-use.

2. Website Redesign is Not the Ultimate Solution

Most business owners think if their website undergoes a redesign, it will be able to generate more leads. But this is exactly not the case. Your website will not make more sales until you improve all the functional aspects. Imagine, if your brand image is getting the wrong target audience. What if your marketing strategy can’t work? What if your website need a solid content strategy or lacks storytelling and humanizing elements? And what’s worse if your product or service doesn’t meet your user’s expectations?

Keep in mind that your web design is only one piece of a bigger picture. You need to improve all these important elements of your business and pinpoint the problematic area. There’s nothing wrong with having your website redesigned, however, making some tweaks, or coming up with a fresh marketing strategy does the trick and help you save thousands of dollars.

3. Hire a Professional Web Design Team

They say you get what you pay for, which is true to certain extent. But it doesn’t mean that you need to spend thousands of dollars on a good website design. There are many graphic designers who extraordinary charge and blind you with impressive coding jargon and technical terms.

Carefully decide your budget and find a web design company that can work within your allotted budget. Look for a team of web designers that truly understand your business needs and meet your expectations.

Web design and development is usually a one-time investment, but there are some providers who try to trap you in a way that charge monthly recurring charges. When it comes to web hosting, it will cost you $5 a month nowadays. And if we talk about website maintenance, these are simple upgrades that might come from time to time. You can opt for WordPress or any other content management system that allows you do your own upgrades by simply clicking a button.

If you need changes to content, use content management system and do the required changes. Or simply hire a company that will do it for you. But make sure you are not being overcharged for these easy and quick jobs.

4. Creating a Brand Identity is the Trick, Not Everyone knows it.

Many designers lack the expertise of creating a solid brand identity. Though they are good at creating graphic design but when it comes to reflecting your brand identity, not all designers do it right. It is far better to work with a branding agency that can create a website that reflects your brand identity.

Otherwise you will create a website that attracts the wrong target market and your entire website will be a waste of time and money.

5. Don’t Break the Rules in the Name of Totally Unique

It is completely true that you need to stay ahead of your competitors and look unique from all the rest. Some designers create your website in a way that breaks all the rules, which is certainly not good. And your amazing, unique website ends up being an unsatisfying, confusing experience for users.

Web designers need to create website that follows standard web design and usability rules, because incorporating these rules in your website is a must-have to make it user-friendly and effective. If you break these standards, you will make your visitors to abandon your website.

For instance, users know that they will find a sign-up button on the top right of a site, logos are always present in the top left of a website, navigation is found below header areas.

If you avoid these conventions, you’ll simply create a user experience that is confusing. People will never come back to your website and your website becomes ineffective, just for the sake of being unique.

6. It’s all About Understanding Consumer’s Psychology and Behavior

The secret to an effective website design is not having an aesthetically appealing design and compelling content. It’s all about customer psychology and behavior. Being a graphic designer, you need to clearly understand the psychology of colors and the associations consumers make with certain shades and hues. A designer must know what imagery, colors and fonts will appeal to users and the type of users it will appeal to.

In addition, he should understand what emotional state a website should create when consumers land on a website. Should he opt for a design that is modern and colorful or simple, soft and comforting? What elements grab the attention of users and what will make them leave?

In fact, a good designer knows psychology of people and understand that his job is to influence a user’s psychological state of mind and perception of your business.

When a designer knows all this, he will design a website that captures your audience interest, holds it and convinces people to take action. Implementing some persuasive strategies into your website can bring you sales. And it is what every business owner wants.