Is your website a trophy wife?
Not sure if you should sacrifice looks for brains when thinking about web design and development? Well, the answer is more straightforward than it seems.
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MOST CLIENTS I WORK WITH WANT A TROPHY WIFE

That’s right, you heard me. They want a responsive web design that looks good, doesn’t require a lot of effort to keep happy and is a showpiece for all to admire when dropping by. Only thing is, these kinds of websites (dubbed trophy wife websites) may look good on the surface level but more often than not they fall short when it comes to serving your brand on the world wide web.

Now I am not saying that you should sacrifice looks for brains when thinking about web design and development. In actual fact, I am screaming from the hilltops that you should strike a balance. Find the happy place between trophy wife websites that look good but don’t get the job done and the kind of responsive web design that looks good and functions on point.

Sound impossible? Well, it can be when working with a web development company in Cape Town that chases looks over everything else – true story. So, watch out when rethinking your web design and development strategy for an upcoming project. Here are some cornerstone characteristics in a website that serves you well in the looks and the brains department.

RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN

When choosing a trophy wife website, the most common mistake clients make is opting for a premade web design template without checking if the design is responsive. Responsive web design is an approach to web design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices such as desktops, tablets and smartphones, as defined by Smashing Magazine. 

But is it worth it? Well, you could put all your effort into making your website look like a trophy wife on desktop and forget about mobile and nothing might happen to your business BUT what if most of your users view your website on mobile? Well, then I’d say your trophy wife might be showing her wrinkles without you even knowing it. As a web development company in Cape Town, we always develop responsive web designs by following the mobile-first approach. This approach simply means that we design websites for clients that look great across all screen sizes – and when done this way, you have a better chance of ranking as Google prefers responsive web design too.

SIMPLE NAVIGATION

Well-thought-out responsive web designs may sound complex, but web design and development thrive on simplicity – especially when it comes to navigation.

Remember that from a user’s standpoint, they have less than no time available to find what they are looking for, and if any resistance is felt – well, they’ll hit the road, Jack. So, work with a web development company that knows how to make your website’s navigation seamless from start to finish. During our web design and development discussions with the client, we create extensive storyboards and site architecture plans to understand how users find information. Then we strip it down to workhorse level because this is where good looks don’t count.

BE USER RELEVANT

In an ideal world, your web design and development should be all about you and your business, but in reality, it is all about your user. Yep, that’s right! When you spend all your time dolling up your website with an inside out approach, you are guaranteed to have high bounce rates and poor conversations rates. To top it all off, your website won’t make it on the catwalk of Google’s coveted page one. Did you know that it’s not your website’s good look that will win you the love of adoring admires but actually the content? Don’t get me wrong. Your website should always look good but it should also answer users’ questions with clear, concise and unique content.

When it comes time to put pen to paper, we advise you to work with a web development company in Cape Town that researches your users’ search engine behaviour and develops a responsive web design that drives profitable actions on your website.

In the wise words of Barbara Palvin: “Beauty without intelligence is like a masterpiece painted on a napkin.”

Well, there is nothing wrong with having a trophy wife website that looks good and makes the boys and girls blush as long as it also has all the qualities of functional web design and development that has stood the test of time. When choosing a web development company, make sure to ask the right questions and always remember to look past the pretty face to make sure your website’s best features aren’t just its good looks. If you aren’t sure where to start, let’s grab a cup of coffee and find the right solution for your business.

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