Unless you're running a business that requires you to do everything yourself, it's likely that you're going to have someone designing your website. If so, here are some tips for making sure that designer does the best possible job:

Creative design = more sales.

If you want to turn your website into a money-making machine, you need to make sure it has creative design.

Why is creative design so important? Because it allows your site to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace. It also makes it easier for customers to navigate, use and understand your product or service. That's why most websites with poor designs fail miserably---while those with great ones thrive.

If you have a website that lacks creativity, it may be time for a redesign. But even if you recently redesigned your site and are happy with its content, consider making some changes anyway---especially if they'll help boost sales at little or no cost.

Focus on the user experience.

Focus on the user experience.

What is the user experience? It's how a visitor or customer feels when using your website, whether that be through their interaction with your content, calls to action, or even just the look and feel of your site. A great user experience can make all the difference in whether someone returns---or even subscribes in the first place.

Remember: people are visiting you for a reason---whether it's to learn about something new or find an answer to a question they have. While some sites are static (like blogs) and others might be more transactional (like ecommerce), both kinds of content should be engaging enough to keep readers around long enough for them to engage with whatever call-to-action you have available at any given moment.

Make your website mobile-friendly.

Making your website mobile-friendly can be a great way to increase your sales, as well as the amount of traffic that comes through it. According to a 2016 report by Google, there are over 2 billion active Android devices around the world and over 1 billion active iOS devices. That's a lot of people using their phones, tablets, or other mobile devices to browse the Internet! If they're not able to comfortably read what you have on your site, they'll go somewhere else where they can get what they need done.

Making sure that everyone who visits your site is able to do so regardless of device type will help ensure maximum productivity for your business---and who doesn't want more productivity?

Know what people want and show it to them.

Knowing your audience is the first step to creating a successful website. If you want to make money from your website, it's important to create content that your visitors are looking for.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you try to understand who your audience is:

• Who are my customers? What do they want and need?

• What kind of person is my customer? Is this person male or female? How old are they? Are they married with kids or single and alone in an apartment building in New York City? Do they live on a farm or in a mansion on the hillside of Malibu Beach (pretty sure I just heard Jimmy Buffett singing about this). How much do they make per month vs how much debt do they have vs how much money does their spouse make compared to how many hours does he/she work (or maybe he/she doesn't work at all--let's not go there).

• What can I offer that no one else does so people will come back again and again for more information about whatever subject matter we're discussing here today!

Don't make them wait.

As you know, people are impatient. They don't want to wait for a page to load, so it's important that your website loads quickly.

There are two things you can do:

• Use a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN is basically a server that hosts your site's content on servers around the world so that when someone visits your site from somewhere far away, their computer won't have to download everything from one place (your server). This will make the site load much faster and reduce bandwidth issues. Some internet providers offer these services for free if you sign up with them --- check with yours! If not, they're usually pretty cheap ($20--$50 per month).

• Use caching plugins. These plugins cache frequently accessed files so they don't need to be downloaded every time someone visits; they simply pull the cached file instead of downloading it again from the server or CDN (which would take longer).

Be consistent.

Consistency is the key to a good user experience. Your visitors are looking for consistency so they can easily find what they're looking for, remember your brand and trust it.

You want your website to be consistent with other aspects of your business, including branding and the quality of service you provide. A consistent website helps build trust amongst consumers because it makes them feel like there is a reliable source in the digital world where they can go when they need information or products.

Design your website to quickly guide users to what they are looking for.

• Navigation bar: The main navigation bar is the first thing a visitor sees when they come to your website, so it's important that it's clear and easy to use.

• Search bar: A search box allows visitors to quickly find what they're looking for on your site, but only if you offer one. You can easily add this feature by installing Google's free search tools.

• Menu bar: Most of the links needed by a business are located in the menu bar at the top of their website. Make sure your menu has relevant links that will help users navigate through your site easily and quickly find what they need without having to click too many times or read lengthy descriptions of each link before finding what they're looking for or getting frustrated with an endless list of choices not relevant to their needs (i.e., "About Us," "Blog," etc.).

Great design will get you more customers

Design is the first thing people see, and it's what they judge your business on. This can be both good and bad. If your site has a great design, then you have an advantage over your competitors who don't have one.

If you have a terrible or outdated design, then this will make people not want to trust you with their money or time. Your brand needs to be consistent across all platforms: your website, social media profiles and any advertisements you create for yourself.

Conclusion

While marketing and branding are important, it's your website that's the first thing people see. If you want to make money off of your website, then it needs to be appealing and easy-to-use. The best way to do this is through careful planning and good design.