Online presence is important to widen the client base and get better reach for every business. However, having a website itself is not enough to strengthen the business presence since others do the same to reach the goal. Therefore, you must pay more attention to your website design. A design that can make you stand out from your competitors. So, it can make your audience choose you over others. Let’s find out how to do it!
Why is Website Design Important?
Talking about design means talking about appearance. However, design is not just appearance either. When you talk about good design, it includes good appearance and usability. It will bring benefits to your business eventually. Here are some key benefits having a good-designed website can bring you.
First Impression. Impression always matters to gain more recognition. A good website with a good design can give an everlasting impression that makes the visitors want to explore more.
Better Search Engine Ranking. Website content is not the only element that determines the rank. When your website is easy to access, and swift loading, it will help in improving your position, too.
Build Trust. A good website means a good impression. A good impression can lead to trust. So, don’t scare away your audience with a half-baked design.
Create Consistency. Inconsistent brands will make it hard to recognize. By having a good website design, it will be easy to keep the consistency and make you recognizable.
Measure Up to Competitors. When your competitors have it, why haven’t you? Don’t let your business not develop because you don’t have what they have for good.
What Makes a Good Website? Find Out 7 Website Design Principles to Make One
Having a good website is quite easy when you know the key. The basis of having a good one is to provide the best experience for your audience. If it is your first time in website designing, you can start by following the principles below.
Typography
Text is part of the content of a website. You have to pick a combination of typography that is easy to read and attractive to deliver the information contained in the text. The best choice to apply is the one that can correspond to your audience. It also depends on your industry and purpose. So, some will be best with serifs, but some with san serifs.
Colors
Color can not only make a website more alive. It can represent your identity and intention, too. You can pick the main or dominant color from your brand color. Combine them with other colors to create an appealing palette. Or, you can choose one that most attract audiences. It is best to keep the color minimal. Try the monochromatic -the same color with different shades, analogous -colors that are close to each other, or complementary -complement each other.
Content
The content you put on your website can affect the overall website design and performance. First, the copy should be attractive enough to ignite people’s curiosity. No one will be interested in a boring jargon, tagline, or headline. They will go away regardless of how good the image you use on your website hero is.
However, having good and eye-catching images does not necessarily make your website successful in getting visitors. Images that are too large can cause long loading times. With the level of patience of people today, spending too long just to load an image would certainly be a waste of time.
The same applies to videos. Although it doesn’t always have to be there, adding videos can make visitors spend more time. Providing content that is easy to digest, interesting, and inviting is a must-fulfillment element, considering that people skim, not read.
Layout
Once you have all the material ready to display, you should know how the best display will attract an audience. That is how the layout is significant in website design. When deciding the best layout to apply, you have to consider the people who will use the website. It should be simple and accessible to give the users the best experience.
Visual Hierarchy
In creating a layout for a website, it will be helpful for you to have an appropriate visual hierarchy. Visual hierarchy is not about putting which is where, and what the most significant information to highlight. It is about information process order that usually follows the visitors’ eyes and reading behaviors.
Navigation
Apart from visual elements, you must pay attention to functional elements too, starting from navigation. The navigation will lead visitors to explore pages or other sections. The locations spread from the header, and body, to the footer. Put the main navigation at the very top.
Responsive Design
One of the things that website visitors like most nowadays is responsive website design. This responsiveness means the website can adjust well to any device displayed. So, even when your website opens on a bigger or smaller screen size, it will have the same quality.
What to Avoid in Designing a Website?
Knowing what to include does not always prevent you from including what should not be included. It’s a good idea to avoid making the following mistakes to get the best design.
Cluttered Interface – Adding elements is good to make your website won’t be too empty. However, overloading it with too much can distract your visitors.
Lack of Responsiveness – People browse websites from a variety of devices, especially mobile. If your website is less responsive, this can affect your website’s performance.
Slow Load Times – No one likes to wait a long time. So, make sure your visitors get a quick, seamless experience. Don’t let them leave your website before doing anything.
Complicated Navigation – People will prefer to go to another site when they can’t find what they’re looking for on your website. Simple, intuitive navigation is key.
The Final Take on Website Design
Good website design is crucial for any business. It combines both form and function effectively. A well-designed site attracts more visitors. It also keeps them engaged for longer periods. This engagement fosters trust and improves rankings. In today’s crowded online space, design matters. These principles can serve as your guide for success.