Web Design vs. Content: Which Is More Important?
Web design and website content are two of the pillars of an effective online marketing campaign. Both play an essential role in building websites, and whichever you want to focus on depends on what your goals are for your website. Nonetheless, both components aim to impact prospects and improve user experience positively.
Content and web design work together to create robust websites with high search engine rankings, conversion rates, and user engagement. Every component of your website must serve a purpose to help you gain new leads and convert them into regular clients or customers.
It can’t be denied that both factors are necessary for your website to become a profitable marketing channel, but how do you choose which factor comes first? If you’re looking for the answer, you’re in the right place! We will discuss the “content-first” and “design-first” methods of creating websites to help you.
Why Put Content First
Designers who create websites often focus on the site’s appearance, including its color scheme, theme, and layout, before they work on organizing the texts, photos, and videos that will be published on the website. This approach overlooks the reason people visit websites—content.
Digital marketers believe that website content, or at least its length, should be the first thing they look at when building websites. After all, a well-designed website is nothing without good content. According to advdms.com, here are the reasons why a “content-first” approach is recommended:
Content helps increase conversion rates
While your website’s visual elements set the first impression, your content makes your website visitors stick around. It determines whether they will respond to your calls to action or come back to revisit your website. In other words, content breathes life into website design.
Websites with a good design but poor content are not likely to get the most traffic. Your content should answer every prospect’s question about a specific product or service. The more you provide them with top-notch content packed with helpful information, the higher the chances of converting them into customers or clients.
Web Design vs. Content: Content promotes your brands
Your website is your way of communicating with everyone in the digital world. It should feature high-quality content that lets your customers, clients, and prospects know more about your brand, offers, promotions, events, and other necessary information about your business.
You can also use your content to educate your visitors about the benefits of your products or services. Doing so promotes your brand. To make the most of your website, you must regularly update your content and provide current solutions to help visitors see your company as a leader in your industry.
Content guides website design
When you determine and craft your content first, you can use it as a guide for your design direction. If your content is more videos than written words, your website should include a template designed for videos. The same goes if you are using a text-based approach for your content.
In a “content-first” approach, the writers and editors hand the content to the web designers. With the content ready and provided, the designers won’t have difficulty figuring out the website’s theme. They will find it easier to come up with designs that suit the overall tone of the content.
The Advantages of Prioritizing Web Design
Without a distinctive web design, a website would not have an identity. As mentioned, another option other than the “content-first” approach is the “design-first” approach. Here are the advantages it offers:
The design provides a pattern for content
Content can be influenced by design and vice versa. A design layout can guide writers and editors in determining the content length and headings required for a website. Good writers can easily fit the range within the constraints set by a specific website design.
A basic sketch or initial design can provide a great framework for creating website content. This shows that writers and editors can use different design elements to create a pattern for great content. In summary, design can serve as a solid foundation for unique content.
Web Design vs. Content: Design Enhances User Experience
A good design layout can make your visitors stay on your site longer. This is especially true if it makes navigation much easier. The user experience is greatly improved by visual elements that make it convenient for visitors to find what they are looking for on your website.
A professionally designed website makes a good first impression before your visitors go through your content. It’s easy to keep them interested in your content once you capture their attention. With good web design, your brand also conveys confidence when presenting your products and services.
Key Takeaway
A website without high-quality content and design will not succeed. Therefore, designers and writers need to communicate and collaborate to ensure that the content and design work well together.
There’s no definite answer as to which of the two is better. Content and design should be both prioritized. You just have to choose the best approach for you, your team, and your business.
