Design Versus Content: Which Should You Consider Most Important When Marketing?

Design or content. Two things you need to be mindful of when marketing your business. But which is most important?

Designing a website or campaign is important as this is what often draws in the consumer. They are attracted to the images, graphics, style, and overall look associated with your brand.

If your website or social media doesn’t look attractive or professional then it’s likely you won’t get many site views.

Content, on the other hand, is about substance.

Content determines what it is you are saying to your consumer – be it through blog articles, social media posts, your website information, or more.

It is also an important factor to consider when marketing as this is what determines if a consumer will like what you say and thus stay on your page.

But which is the most important?

Read on to find out the benefits of both, and the final decision at the end.

According to the Social Science Research Network, 65% of us are visual learners.

We are attracted to images and graphics which look nice and draw our attention – usually because of colour.

Because of this, consumers are more likely to have their attention first drawn to images, graphics, and visuals on a website before they start reading the content.

That’s why we have logos and banners!

Before a consumer decides whether or not they’re going to read what you have to say, they make a judgement based on the visuals.

Does your product look interesting?

Does your web design seem professional?

If not, then they’ll be clicking off and your bounce rate will increase. This is not what you want.

In order to draw in your consumer and invite them to read your content, you first need to establish an attractive design.

An impressive colour scheme, interesting images, and informative infographics. These are only a few ways in which you can gain a consumer’s curiosity and spur them on in their reading.

If people are so driven by visuals, it seems a mistake to not cater to this.

After all, a website with text only and no other visuals wouldn’t be very engaging, would it?

Your SEO can be determined by a number of things: page speed, links, user experience.

But it’s also content that drives up your SEO rankings.

Gone are the days where you could fill a page of random keywords, with no substance to what you say, in the hopes of appearing high on a results page.

Now, more effort needs to be put in. Especially if you want to be one of the first search results shown to your demographic and audience.

The way to do this? Content.

Using certain keywords that are the most searched for in your blog posts will in turn mean that you will show up higher on a search engine results page (SERP).

The way this happens is by proving to the algorithm which determines the SEO rankings that your content is reliable, authentic, trustworthy, and above all, what people want.

This is beneficial for your company because you will appear higher in search results and thus increase your traffic.

After all, very few people will venture past the first few results on a search page, let alone go onto a second page.

Results on the second search page have an average click-through rate of less than 1%.

That’s why you should always develop a content strategy to improve your SEO and website traffic.

The design of your website is the first impression people will receive of your company and brand.

If your website is clean and engaging, you will seem professional and worthy of business.

However, if your website is messy and dull, it’s unlikely you’ll be making any sales.

But web design doesn’t just set up an expectation of your brand, but also your customer service.

Customer service can make or break a business and can determine whether your first-time buyers will be translated into loyal customers.

And it’s web design which can sometimes reflect this.

A website that seems rather basic, default, and unoriginal doesn’t convey any effort put into it.

If you’re lacking interesting graphics and eye-catching details, then the consumer will likely believe that effort is not important to your brand.

And if you don’t care about making an effort with your own website, why would you make an effort with the consumer?

According to Forbes, 70% of American buyers say they will spend more money on a product or service if it means receiving better customer service.

Customer satisfaction is a huge priority. The best way to ensure that you take your company – and therefore your consumers – seriously, is through your website design.

Whilst design may be what draws in your consumer, it’s content that gets them to stay.

How are you meant to convey a product or service without being able to articulate its necessities and why the consumer needs it?

Content allows you to educate your audience on your brand, your message, your services, and why you care.

You can explain why you’re different from the other companies out there.

What’s more, content is often more impressionable.

Just because a consumer will see an interesting design doesn’t mean they’re likely to remember it.

But a consumer reading a blog post about why they should choose your company? This is much more likely to leave an impression on their brain and thus ensure a return to your website.

Content is all about substance.

Think of the content funnel.

The content draws in as many people as possible, and through engaging and interesting content, converts them into customers.

These days, technology is advancing and web design is becoming more complicated. As such, an attractive and engaging marketing design is the very least expected of a business right now.

Between pop-ups, graphics, plug-ins, logos, and more, websites and advertisements are meant to stand out.

Anything less means that you’ll just get lost in the crowd.

Websites and social media pages are no longer simply information based only.

Now, there is a demand to be engaged and entertained.

Websites with poor design will automatically be disregarded in a consumer’s mind. Especially when there are so many other options out there that are much more impressive in their design.

It takes ingenuity and a unique website to draw in a consumer and really show that you’re a business worth dealing with.

However, marketing design is important not only to attract consumers but also to allow them to continue their journey through your website or social media.

Your marketing must be simple to use and understand for a consumer, and easy to navigate.

Complicated websites or social media pages will also put consumers off. So, it falls to marketing design to ensure that their experience on your pages is as enjoyable and smooth as possible.

When it comes to social media, content can have a direct impact on click-throughs and website traffic.

You may have a social media account with thousands of followers, but if no one is engaging with it, then it’s failing.

This is where content comes in.

Having someone produce content for your different social media pages is what’s important. Especially when it comes to understanding the different content needed for each form of social media.

The type of content that will perform well on Facebook will not be the same type of content that will perform well on Instagram. Social media design is allowed to remain fairly consistent and the same across the different platforms. However, you need to have adaptable content moulded specifically for each platform.

A social media account with a nice design that looks friendly and professional is one thing to gain a follower, but it’s the content you produce that helps you maintain it.

Being able to produce content specific to each form of social media is the most impressive when devising content marketing.

Well, think of it like this.

Have you ever gone to a restaurant and ordered a really nice sounding sandwich?

It turns up and looks incredible, and you stop to take photos of the food you can’t want to dive into.

But as soon as you take your first bite, your face sours.

This doesn’t taste as good as it looks, and you’re disappointed.

It’s the same when it comes to marketing.

Whilst it is the design that sets up the expectations and draws in the consumer, it is content which is the follow through and the substance.

A website with poor content or a social media platform that isn’t informative or interesting will not perform well.

And there’s nothing worse than clicking on a good looking website, only to find the content boring and dull, and not what you were hoping for.

Ultimately, it is the content of your marketing campaign which is the most important. It helps with retaining a following, maintaining consumers, and ensuring the most sales.

That’s why it is content that is king.

If you are looking to market your business and don’t know where to begin, speak to us at Shape the Market. We have a specialised team of content writers who are able to craft the perfect content for your website and socials.

It can be difficult navigating the different types of content and having the time to research and produce it. That’s why our services are so beneficial to new, and small-medium sized businesses looking to market their companies.