If you’re a business owner, you know that attracting customers is key to success. But did you know that good design can be the key to attracting those customers?
From dating apps to online shopping, people are drawn to beauty, and successful business owners know this well. In fact, companies with strong design outperform those with weak design by 219% on the S&P Index over the span of 10 years, according to Adobe.
Here are 7 proven reasons why good design is good business (and how you can use design to increase your small business revenues).
1. Make a strong first impression
In the digital age, people form opinions quickly, and it only takes 10 seconds for them to form a first impression of your brand’s logo. Good design is a signal to customers that they should buy from you.
Packaging design can also alter the perception of your product. Packaging it perfectly, complete with eye-catching graphics and colors, is just as important to your financial success.
Good design is about using colors, shapes, textures, space, forms, images, and content in a harmonious, balanced way. It starts with a strong brand and a well-designed logo.
A great logo design can make your business stand out from the competition and attract potential customers. In fact, memorable logos are 13% more likely to get consumers’ attention and 71.6% more likely to get a positive response from consumers.
2. Stand out from the crowd
Good design can significantly set your business apart from competitors. A strong visual identity helps customers recognize and remember your brand, which leads to better customer retention.
If your designs are current, modern, and impressive, people will just gravitate towards your products. At the end of the day, creating a successful product, service, or website is all about getting eyeballs to it.
Good design can help you generate more attention and spend less money. People are inherently biased towards beauty, and they perceive beautiful things as being better, regardless of whether they actually are better.
All else being equal, people prefer beautiful things, and they believe beautiful things function better.
3. Build an emotional connection with your customers
Since relationships are based on emotion, customers are often emotionally connected to a company. Luke Janssen, the founder of a weekly email newsletter and thriving community of business owners Venture Fanatics, had this to say about the importance of good design:
“Good design makes it easier to create emotional connections. Great designs use color, layout, and smart font choice to connect to their consumer in meaningful, emotionally driven ways. Your designs should support the principles you have built your company around, and strive to reach your customers’ hearts (rather than their wallets).”
– Luke Janssen, Venture Fanatics
Create valuable, sustainable customer relationships by building your brand’s visual identity on the foundation of emotional connection.
4. Better online conversion
Good design is not just what looks good.
To be effective, design needs to perform a specific function. A well-designed website, for example, helps convert visitors into customers.
When a website has a beautiful, well-structured design, it immediately grabs visitors attention, encouraging them to explore further. This initial appeal can be crucial in retaining potential users.
Effective user interface (UI) design reduces friction and cognitive load, making interactions smoother and more intuitive. This leads to a more pleasant and efficient user experience, increasing the likelihood of positive user impressions and longer visits.
5. Promotes brand consistency
Consistency is key to a successful brand, and therefore, a successful business.
Good design helps you maintain brand consistency across all your marketing materials, including your website, social media channels, and advertising campaigns.
Consistency helps build brand recognition and trust with your customers, and it reinforces your brand’s values and mission.
6. Increase brand loyalty
Good design plays a crucial role in fostering brand loyalty. When your customers interact with well-designed products or services, they develop a positive perception of your brand. This enhanced experience often leads to a stronger emotional connection.
A well-crafted brand identity, including a consistent logo and visual elements, helps customers recognize and remember your brand. Companies like Apple demonstrate how sleek and minimalist designs can set industry standards, attracting loyal followers.
Effective use of fonts, colors, and layouts in your marketing materials ensures clear communication. It also makes your brand more appealing and trustworthy. Clear communication helps build trust, a key component of brand loyalty.
7. Make you more money
When you invest in good design, you’re more likely to see a direct impact on your sales and overall market share. A well-designed product or service is appealing to customers and can provide a competitive edge in the marketplace.
In fact, McKinsey’s research has shown a strong correlation between top-performing companies and an emphasis on design actions, like putting design-savvy executives on the board.
To clearly see the financial impacts, consider the following scenarios:
- Scenario 1: You have a product with subpar design, but it works as intended. Your sales might be steady, but they’re not growing at the desired rate.
- Scenario 2: You invest in improving the design of your product. With an eye-catching and user-friendly design, your sales could increase and help grow your market share.
Key takeaway: By focusing on good design, you can capture the attention of potential customers and increase the likelihood of them choosing your product or service over a competitor’s.
Case Studies: Successful Business Design
Tech Industry Leaders
In the tech industry, leaders like Airbnb and Google have demonstrated how good design principles can foster outstanding results and growth. For instance, Airbnb disrupted the traditional hotel industry by utilizing Design Thinking principles to create a platform that enables travelers to access unique accommodations worldwide. Their user-friendly interface and design played a key role in their success.
On the other hand, Google’s simple and effective home page design has become the face of online search, solidifying its place as a crucial aspect of a thriving business. This design simplicity has helped the company maintain its popularity and market dominance.
Retail and Consumer Goods
In the retail and consumer goods sectors, various brands use design to create memorable and efficient shopping experiences. Ikea is a prime example, as their approach to design thinking has streamlined the customer journey. They use product packaging, store layouts, and hassle-free assembly instructions to generate a unique customer experience.
Another notable example is the sports apparel giant Nike. This company invested in good design by focusing on the way their products look, feel, and function, culminating in a loyal customer base and significant market share. Their drive for innovation and design has made them a leader in their industry.
In conclusion, these case studies from both the tech and retail sectors showcase how successful businesses invest in good design. By incorporating user-friendly interfaces, simple and effective designs, and memorable customer experiences, companies can achieve lasting growth and dominate their respective markets.