Is Design or Message More Important to a Successful Website?

So you've decided on a new business website. You want the site to stand out - be different. You love the idea of interactivity, and flash design seems to be the thing that you notice most when you visit sites around the web.

"Oh, this is going to be big," you tell yourself. But is it?

Website design can be about one of two things - design or message. Knowing the difference and how it could affect your business is important.

Let's take a look at the compelling differences between the two in order to help you come to terms with your future website.

Design

This element is all about your website's buzz factor. Site visitors may spread the news to others to encourage them to take a look. Your visitors may love those elemental touches that inspire a sense of awe.

Design is costly, but many business owners believe it is worth it when they see the stats that indicate a significant number of prospective customers are on board with the new design and coming back for more.

Message

This is the story of your company - the plan of action you have to help your customers. It is more straightforward and is more readily caught by potential customers. It may seem as though fewer visitors are finding the site, but the design was less expensive and the message is on target.

Which one sells?

You might be surprised that many business owners are increasingly choosing message over design. This doesn't mean these men and women aren't interested in design. They are simply more interested in passing along an effective message that reaches motivated consumers.

The 'fewer frills' economy design is more cost effective and often results in the business owner being able to develop and display some of the new content without the help of a web master.

A Hard Truth

The message is what sells a product. When a site design is so focused on drawing attention to itself it becomes a popular site with no specific business purpose. I suppose that's a broad overstatement of the case, but the truth is there are many sites that are underperforming because they have placed too much emphasis on design and that very emphasis has overshadowed the message.

The Argument

The standard discussion seems to be that visitors will come for design and stick around for the message, but comparatively speaking a message oriented site can be more successful simply by articulating a compelling message. If done correctly this message should provide ample reason for the site visitors to feel a call to action. By default the message provided the motivation to purchase.

The Cost Effective Solution

A rampant belief among business owners is that in order for a website to be effective it must be expensive to develop. A growing number of businesses are discovering this is simply not true.

The growth of web development tools makes it possible for businesses to develop complete websites in a very short period of time. The templates provide a surprisingly good look without overpowering your personally created message. The design becomes a tasteful element that welcomes 'message' seekers.

Technology is a great tool as long as it is actually useful to the actual objectives of the business owner.