Your website is often the first contact people have with your business and it should make a good impression.  That said, "good, bad, and ugly" are subjective terms, and "website esthetics" is a nebulous concept that no two people will agree on.

One thing we can all agree on is that the basic tenets of "good" web design remain constant. Functionality, navigation and usability are the "make-or-break" features of a successful site.  Focusing on your customers’ needs, not necessarily on what your young designer thinks is cool will determine your online success.

"Good" web design features:

• Intuitive Navigation (link names that make sense to users)
• Relevant, updated content
• Fast loading pages
• Readable text
• Branded design that fits your spa image (When was the last time you re-designed your site? Surely you’ve outgrown that template site.)
• Easy to find contact details – on every page!
• Search engine friendly – (Do a search "day spa city name." Do you come up in the top ten listings?)
• Professional images 
• Consistency throughout site

Bad or Ugly Websites

"Bad or ugly" design interferes with usability and very often that results in users clicking away. Simply stated, when that happens your conversion rate goes down and you've lost a potential customer.

"Bad or ugly" websites have:

• Confusing navigation and/or broken links
• Outdated look and feel
• Slow loading pages, redirects, and “404” errors (page unfound messages)
• Cannot be found in search (what are you thinking?)
• Old content (website pages haven’t been updated in years)
• Poor product and service descriptions
• Inconsistencies throughout site

Your spa website may very well be the most important asset in your marketing toolbox. Make that first impression a favorable one. Give visitors easy and quick access to information. Let’s face it, the "raison d'etre" for your site is to promote your business and brand online, and to make money.  Don’t put up obstacles in the way of your success.

Ready for a website re-design? Contact Spa Marketing to get started.