A well-designed website is a valuable investment that will generate revenue for your business—but 38% of people say they won’t explore a site if they find it unattractive. If your website hasn’t been updated in a while, your web design could unintentionally be hurting your business by turning people away at the door.
If it’s time to refresh your website, we’ve put together a list of 10 design elements and coupled them with the do’s and don’ts of great web design. Follow these best practices as you update your site.
1. Target audience
Don’t ignore the users
Always keep your target audience in mind. Your point-of-view, as a professional, might be very different from that of the user. Pretend you’re visiting your website with fresh eyes. Walkthrough the user’s journey as they explore different pages. Focusing on this experience will help you create a user-friendly website.
Do optimise for search
Websites that don’t rank well on Google and other search engines have very little chance of breaking through the noise. As you update your website and add new pages, make sure you’re following the most recent SEO guidelines. Your page titles, meta descriptions, and content are all important players in driving better search signals.
2. Layout
Don’t create a cluttered layout
Have you seen websites that look like rows of boxes—all different sizes and arranged haphazardly? Would you spend more than two seconds sorting through it? Probably not. That’s because cluttered websites are visually confusing; the viewer doesn’t know where to direct their attention. A well-organised layout, on the other hand, guides the viewer where you want them to go.
Create a focal point
So, where do you want your visitors to go? It depends on the purpose of your website. An e-commerce site will drive visitors to purchase, while a SaaS site might drive visitors towards a demo or a free trial. Whatever purpose your website serves, making it the focal point of your homepage.
3. Colour scheme
Don’t use all the colours
Using too many colours will make your website design clash. Colours have a strong psychological impact, and they will affect a viewer’s opinion of your brand. If you’re unsure how many colours to use, the rule of thumb says your design should not use more than three colours. If you’re working with a brand palette, you might be able to use more, as long as you balance them well.
Do use colour combos that enhance your content
Your website’s colours should reflect the brand, complement the content, and visually delight viewers. Avoid selecting random colours just based on what you like. Instead, think about the brand and its users. If you have a primary colour but don’t know how to make colour schemes, you can use an automatic colour scheme generator to help fill out your palette.
4. Text placement
Don’t fill the page with long paragraphs
Just like the layout, you don’t want the design to be cluttered with text. If you have long-form content on the website, create a clean, spacious design that divides the content into readable chunks. You can do that by adding ample white space, using images, and creating proper flow.
Do make it easily scannable
If your pages are easy to scan, you have a better chance of luring readers to the bottom. Attention spans are short online, but if you can make your content easy to absorb, readers will get more value from it. In addition to high-quality writing, use headings, bullets, quotes and blocks to emphasize the essentials.
5. Search & navigation
Don’t make it hard for users to find what they need
Everything on your website should be easily searchable. Whether it’s the sign-up form, the “About Us” page, or your contact information, readers should not have to spend more than a few seconds finding it. To make things even easier, include a search box so people can find things that don’t align with the page’s primary focus.
Do set up proper navigation
If your site requires users to sign up, use colours to make the navigation simple. For instance, if your navigation headers are blue, make your sign-up button green or some other colour. Organise your content into categories that users can browse if they like. You can also organize content on various hub pages.
6. Fonts
Don’t use too many fonts
A website that uses five different fonts loses users in seconds because it takes too much effort to read. Too many fonts on the screen can make a website look chaotic and unprofessional. The ideal number of fonts is three: one for main headings, another for sub-headings, and the third for the body text.
Do select the right font sizes
Font size has a huge impact on legibility. It’s important that they’re neither too big (taking up half the page) nor too small (uncomfortable to read). The sizes of your fonts should reflect the importance of each element. For example, section titles and taglines are more significant than the body text, so they’re bigger. This helps readers scan the content, too.
7. Images
Don’t use too many images
Too many images will crowd out your message, so use them sparingly and impactfully. Remember, search engines can’t read images very well, so don’t rely on them to convey text. If you’re using a background image, keep it under 1 MB. Large images slow down your site’s loading time.
Do make it visually attractive
People think visually, which is why images are so effective. Feel free to use images in your web design, but find ones that are visually attractive, high resolution and not pixelated. Make sure the images you use reflect your brand’s personality. Don’t forget that you can also use textures and gradients to add visual appeal.
8. Mobile compatibility
Don’t forget to optimise for mobile
57% of mobile users won’t recommend a website that’s not optimised for mobile. More people are browsing and shopping on mobile devices, and they expect websites to provide great mobile experiences. Invest in responsive or mobile-first design so you don’t miss customers during crucial moments. Do test for functionality It’s not enough for your website to look good on mobile—it needs to be fully functional as well. Give your mobile users the tools to get things done, such as product search, store locators, service details, and more. If you can seize these opportunities, you won’t lose customers who are searching on the go.
9. Conventional vs. unique design
Don’t ignore the power of convention
People are used to certain structures and formats on the web. This familiarity makes it easier for the brain to absorb content and make decisions. Your visitors shouldn’t have to be detectives to figure out who you are and what you offer. The power of traditional web design is that users will understand what your website is about with a single glance.
Do be creative & unique
Still, you do want your brand to stand out from the crowd. Be creative, and use elements that make your site unique without disrupting the flow of information. Whether you experiment with moving images, video, or other design elements, try different things and monitor the results. You might be surprised at what works.
10. Test it out
Don’t forget to take it for a test drive
Once you’re done designing the site, test it to make sure everything is working correctly. Use multiple devices to navigate your website and see if it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. A user’s experience can vary depending on device type, internet browser, and location. Try to recreate different scenarios so you can catch any bugs or performance issues before they do.
Do think like a CEO
A successful web designer needs to think like a CEO as well as an artist. This will help you view the website with business strategy in mind. The critical evaluation will give you a site that looks good, is user-friendly and helps the business reach its goals.
Why not talk to us if you need help designing your new website. Contact us today!