Designing a great website is all about bringing together different elements of design.
On their own these elements are valuable, but not game changers.
But when they come together, and we’re talking about key components such: as usability, content, appearance, functionality, and standards compliance, magic happens.
When a website impresses and generates interest, it is often easy on the eyes, user-friendly, secure, and full of high-quality content. This is no coincidence
While there is always room for innovation and invention, the best designers are the ones that follow these rules.
1) Optimised White Space
Websites are supposed to be aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly, and elegant. This is why web designers pay attention to how various design elements are employed and what’s required to make the content stand out.
White space is one of those details that is noticeable on most websites and is all about blank spaces around content or images. The appropriate use of white space can heighten a brand’s influence and make it easier for users to read what’s written. Some of the finest websites that optimise their white space are Medium, Square Space, and Google.
This strategy is also used by counsellor and hypnotherapist Ilona Nichtelein, who uses white space on her website. She explains that “not only does white help to create an image of crisp, cleanliness – something that connects to my business’s message of mental clarity, but the white banner helps the copy and images jump from the screen. And this is great for capturing attention and improving the time spent on site by visitors.”
Due to this strategy, they can offer a minimalist approach to web design making their websites aesthetically appealing. It’s never a good idea to set up a website that’s all over the place and impossible to read. A well-designed, simple to use website is always the better way to go., which means optimised white space is a must.
2) Focus on the Site’s Navigation
A website has to be usable or it’s not going to be of much value. The navigation on your website has to be seamless. This means each component on the homepage should be accessible and easy to navigate when it’s time to do so. Anything that isn’t easy to use on various devices (desktop + mobile) won’t work out in modern times.
It’s important to make sure the website is user-friendly on all devices and impresses within seconds. The design community states it’s important to use the three-second rule, which means the website should capture the user’s attention in less than three seconds. This is how you are able to retain their interest and make sure they stay on for longer periods.
This was a huge focus for Karl Ammoun, an expert in the air conditioning industry. They explain “with so many services offered our menu would have been cluttered to include everything in the same navigation bar. By reorganising the pages to simply the menu we were able to increase conversions. If there is a way for you to simplify your site, you should always take it.”
While going through with this test, it’s all about setting up readable text that comes along with beautiful visuals on each page. This is going to captivate the reader and make them want to go through each detail properly. It’s never a bad idea to go through your website with the help of loved ones to see what they do as soon as they hop on.
3) Use Customer Reviews and/or Offers
The worst thing a website design can include is a large blob of text or a long list of images on the homepage. It’s all about that three-second rule again because clarity is a must when it comes to your overall conversion rate.
Let’s assume you are running an online store. You will want to set up a few relevant quotes from previous customers highlighting what they like about the business and its products. You can also include coupon codes, promotional deals, and anything else other than text or visuals. It’s all about bringing people in and making sure they convert before leaving.
4) Emphasise the Website’s Speed
Too many web designers ignore speed when it comes to building a functional website. For online stores, there’s nothing worse than slow loading speeds, especially on mobile devices.
This can ruin your conversion rate and reduce how much money is coming in annually. Research on this subject states almost half of all consumers wait for no more than three seconds before moving on. If the page doesn’t load quickly, they don’t stick on the site for too long. This is why optimising your site for speed on all devices is a must.
For Samuel Northfield’s demolition business’ website, he was able to increase the load speed of their site by reducing image size. They explain “images can considerably slow down the load speed of a site. We used a tool to compress our images which reduced their file size without sacrificing quality. This helped increase our load time and reduce our bounce time as a result.”
BONUS TIP: Here’s what you can do to make sure the speed improves.
You want to begin by implementing a straightforward checkout process that doesn’t take long to complete. When the checkout process is no longer than a few steps, customers are more than willing to go through with their purchase. A good example of this is Amazon as they implement one-click shopping once the credit card details are put in.
Try Google’s FREE Page Speed Test Tool here to see how your site measures up.
For additional speed test results, you can try a speed test provided here at experte.com
5) Don’t Forget Responsiveness
The website should always be compliant when it comes to responsiveness. When a website isn’t responsive, this can make using the site an impossible or challenging task, especially on different devices.
It’s important to think about how users go through your web pages and what’s required to make sure they spend as much time online as possible.
A responsive design can make this happen.
