GRAPHIC DESIGN VS. WEBSITE DESIGN: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

You walk into a coffee shop and wait in line for a cup of espresso. As you look around, you notice many preoccupied customers. Some are texting, while others are browsing the web. Your ears perk up; the man behind you is cursing up a storm. It’s the classic “page isn’t loading properly” complaint.

In a nutshell, that’s the difference between graphic design and website design. Graphic design involves font, page, and navigation layout. It’s everything that goes into making your website visually appealing. Incidentally, it’s also something we excel in at our local Fort Collins website design agency.

Meanwhile, website design makes it easy for your customers to access your brand on any device or platform. A fully speed optimized website is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity.

Don’t believe us? Google maintains that most websites take 7 full seconds for their visual content to load. As the page load time increases from 1-7 secs, the bounce rate increases by more than 106%. That’s a lot of lost business.

How Responsive Web Design Makes a Difference

By all indications, there were 5 billion unique mobile subscribers in the world in 2017. Experts tell us that smartphone users will comprise 66% of new global connections by 2020.

This is where responsive web design (RWD) comes in. It helps you provide your customers with an optimized browsing experience, regardless of which device they’re using. Essentially, a responsive website makes accommodations for individual device screen size, resolution, and scripting capabilities.

Here are 2 ways responsive web design can make a difference:

• SEO benefits: Google supports RWD. This means that the same HTML code pertains to an URL, regardless of which device is accessing the page. In such a scenario, CSS media queries determine how a page looks on individual devices. With media queries, you no longer have to design multiple web layouts to accommodate various devices. And here’s the clincher: you need only update one set of code. That’s the beauty of RWD. Trust us: Google rewards websites that are optimized for mobile devices. These sites rank higher on search engines.
• Increased conversions: Users expect consistency every time they visit your website. Think back to your coffee shop experience. You get to the counter and make your order. However, the barista shakes her head: the shop stopped offering that flavor last weekend. To get it back on the menu, you’ll have to provide input in a Facebook poll. Frustrated, you purchase nothing and leave. Responsive website design ensures that every element on your page stays consistent. Your customers feel comfortable and stay longer. The result is increased lead generation and conversions.

Why User Experience (UX) Should Be a Key Website Design Focus

Let’s talk about comfort. Today’s consumers prioritize variety, convenience, and ease of use above all else. They also want all three now. That’s the definition of UX in our modern marketplace.

Thus, UX should be a key focus of your marketing strategy. For example, your navigation layout should be simple, accessible, and intuitive. Icons should be easily recognizable, with a user-friendly swipe or tap target interfaces. Since today’s smartphones are touch-screen oriented, any tappable UI (user interface) element should be at least 44 pixels in height. So, size does matter. Smaller touch targets can frustrate users and negatively affect UX on your site.

Since search engine ranking is largely dependent on website responsiveness, you’ll want to ensure that each UI element corresponds to user expectations. For example, a CTA button is a primary action element. It should be prominently contrasted against a secondary element such as a cancel button. This makes both easily identifiable to users. Both touch targets should also be easily accessible. Good UX, rather than being a fad, is an essential part of a powerful marketing strategy.

Developing a Complete Marketing Strategy Through an Understanding of These Differences

Don’t get us wrong; good graphic design has its place. An attractive logo, appealing social media page, and aesthetically pleasing website can be a crucial part of any branding campaign. The colors, font, and images you use can make or break your UX reputation.

However, wielding the right RWD tools can increase website traffic, lead generation, and conversions. When your content is accessible across a range of devices, you increase your brand presence and reach.

Essentially, a complete marketing strategy should comprise the right combination of visually appealing graphics and responsive web design. At Red Rocket Web Specialists, we specialize in both. More importantly, we understand the intricacies of catering to the smartphone generation and keeping up with modern, evolving technologies.

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