Have you ever played a game of white elephant at a Christmas party?
Participants pile gifts in the center and people draw numbers, then take turns selecting and unwrapping a gift. The fun begins when people start stealing gifts others have already unwrapped.
But have you ever noticed that the gifts in beautiful wrapping paper with bows are the ones chosen first? This occurs even when someone inevitably points out that the gift in the paper bag is probably the best one … Probably … But no one wants to take the chance.
This is human psychology. We are attracted to things that are beautiful - whether that is in nature, our food, the products we buy and yes, the design of a website, logo, or other materials from a business.
But design isn’t just about the visual. It is also how something functions. And how something functions has an impact on our experience with it.
Those two things combined mean good design should be something you consider investing in as a business owner.
Design can often feel like a luxury to many early service providers or entrepreneurs. The impact is hard to identify or recognize. Many go it alone years before they feel ready to make the investment.
It’s just packaging right? You can just save it for when you are making the big bucks and have money to throw around….
Only, that isn’t quite the case.
Here is why good design is worth the investment.
1. You have seconds to make an impression.
Our brains process visual information lightning fast. Much quicker than text. It turns out, we also make assumptions and judgements that fast as well.
A study from Google Research found that visitors formed an opinion of a business after just 50 milliseconds of visiting a website. That is literally in the blink of an eye.
First impressions matter. Once that impression is formed, it is difficult to change someone’s mind.
2. It results in higher sales.
There actually is a correlation between great design and higher sales.
Like I mentioned, good design gives a potential customer the perception that your business is more credible and professional. That leads to a higher level of trust. Trust is crucial before someone will give you their money.
Studies have found again and again that money invested in design has a many-fold return.
But if studies don’t compel you, consider the difference between Apple and PCs. Apple built a company with obsessive attention to good design, and they were rewarded with a cult following, whether the product is better or not.
3. Your time is valuable and better spent in your sweet spot.
Consider what you charge per hour. If you are spending hours and hours creating your website, designing your social media graphics, fiddling with your logo, creating a brochure, how much have you spent?
I’m all for DIYing for a season early in business. It is often unavoidable. But there is a way to make sure what you produce is in fact good design and doesn’t LOOK DIYed. It means that you might need to make an investment in a course or in some templates. Make sure you are following expert advice and doing your research before you plunge into creating something that will represent your business.
If you are past this stage in your business, it might be time to invest in a designer so you can get back to doing why you went into business in the first place.
4. It helps build a brand.
I’ve talked about branding a lot on this blog. You can check out this one about why branding matters or this one about branding myths.
Building a brand sets a foundation for you to grow your business strong from the beginning. It builds trust, gains recognition for your business, and allows you to command higher prices.
Good design supports your branding efforts. It adds fuel to the fire and reiterates your brand to potential clients who may be getting to know you.
5. Gives you credibility.
If you showed up to a doctor’s office and realized the appointment was in the doctor’s living room, would you be nervous?
If your business comes across as unprofessional and DIYed, people will doubt you have the qualifications you are advertising - even if you do.
On the flip side, people are more likely to believe businesses with good design. If they believe you, they will buy from you.
6. Bad design is expensive.
When you consider the cost of good design, it is worthwhile to also look at the cost of bad design. Bad design is expensive.
It results in frustration from the user, lack of engagement, customer service complaints, website drop offs, a sour taste for a potential customer ... the list goes on and on.
You may not realize it at first, but you will pay for bad design in some way.
If you want to stand out in your competitive marketplace, good design is a good investment. Have you invested in design in your business? What were the results?
Need some help with good design (and some prompts) for your social media accounts? Try my Social Growth Bundle.
Want my help one on one? Reach out to me.