As a business and website owner, know that users are likely to judge your web design. There are a variety of factors that impact the usability of a website, including appearance and function. A website that is well-designed performs effectively and has optimal Google Analytics metrics. This means having a low bounce rate, users stay long enough on a site to take action, increase page views per visit, and high conversion.
Conversions, in particular, are more important than you think. Web designers consider design as a form of marketing, a place to introduce your products and how they work. You may apply all conversion-increasing tactics you can think of, they will not do you much good if you have a poorly executed website design.
So, how can you make users see your web design in a positive light? Take a look at the following principles that expert website designers follow when making an engaging, easy to use, aesthetically pleasing, and effective website.
Focus on Your Purpose
A good web design means always having your site visitors in mind. Are your visitors seeking information, to transact business, interaction, or entertainment? Your web pages should have a clear purpose and meet the specific needs of your users.
You may begin with establishing your business objectives. Rank the elements you put on your website according to your objectives. It is much easier to prioritize things if you have specific business goals.
Choose the Appropriate Typefaces
Typography plays a vital role in web design Brisbane. The fonts you use symbolize the personality of your brand. Besides grabbing the attention of your audience with their appearance, they should also be readable and functional. The last thing you want is making the users squint their eyes and struggle to read your text. The result is you fail to connect your message to your audience.
There are numerous typefaces available for use, and new ones are constantly being developed. Some popular examples of user-friendly fonts are Courier New, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman. It means they function well both on desktop and mobile screens.
Determine Your Color Palette
The colours you choose help set the mood of your website. White and pastel colors evoke modernity and playfulness, whereas black and dark colors generate a sense of mood and rustic vibe.
Regardless of what you decide to use in your web design, make sure the colors go well with one another. While sticking to a single color palette is the safe way to go about it, some opposite colors create a surprising impact, for example, teal and orange. The key to choosing opposite colors is that they should be complementary to each other.
Put the Right Images
The images on your website help connect with your audience and allow for brand positioning. You may purchase stock photos online to enhance the look of your website if you have no professional images on hand.
Remember to select the photos you add to your web design, considering that not all are created equal. Besides opting for high quality and high resolution, the images should also support your objective and fit the overall design of your website.
Moreover, use graphics, videos, and infographics, as they are also effective in conveying your message.
Make Use of Grid Layouts
Using a grid-based layout is a sure-fire way to make your website design look professional, clean, and organized. If you place your content and other elements on your web pages randomly, you will get an unsystematic and messy website.
Grid layouts put your content into boxes, columns, and sections, creating a more balanced appearance. These are your intersecting vertical and horizontal lines that act as guides in aligning the elements in your web pages.
When there is a lot going on your website, a grid layout is a useful, visual tool that creates order and consistency in your web design.
Work on Your Negative Space
Negative space, also called white space, is the part of your webpage that is always empty. It is the space between lines, columns, graphics, margins, etc. It is all about placing hierarchy for your images, colours, typography, and information. Although it remains empty, this blank space is a crucial element of a web design. A webpage with white space will prevent the cramming of graphics and text, reducing the risks of looking cluttered and busy.
Design According to an F Pattern
Several studies on eye-tracking discovered that users scan screens by following an F pattern. it means that people see mostly the left and top sections of the screen, while the right side is hardly noticeable. Instead of forcing the visual flow of the viewers, a good website design takes advantage of the natural behaviour of the readers, which is to display elements in order of importance, top to bottom and left to right.
Be Mobile-Friendly
Users can access websites from multiple screen sizes on different devices. For this, website designers understand the importance of having a mobile-friendly web design. If your current website is not mobile-friendly, you may create a dedicated site exclusive and optimized for mobile users. Another option is to rebuild your existing website in a responsive layout so it can adapt to any screen size.
Make Load Time Effective
The load time of your pages is a contributing factor if a visitor will explore your site further or instantly depart. Nobody likes a website that takes a long time to load. Aim for effective page load times by optimizing image scale and size, and compressing JavaScript, CSS, and HTML. Also, reduce the HTTP requests by combining CSS or JavaScript codes into a central file.
Additional tips include:
- Minimize the number of plugins you use on your website
- Keep your redirects to a minimum
- Reduce external scripts
- Utilize external hosting platforms for some of your bigger files
Make sure to monitor your page speed regularly.
Optimize Calls-To-Action and Buttons
As you add buttons as among the last elements on your web design, keep in mind that they still have a valuable role in the overall functionality of your website. Their functionality determines whether a potential lead will continue to navigate your site or close the window. Therefore, your buttons, including your call-to-action ones should not whisper but shout. Make them easy to find and easy to click by standing out from the rest of the visual elements of your design.
Following these top principles of a successful website can make your online platform memorable, useful, and engaging to your target audience, whether you need to optimize your current web design or building a website from scratch.
