The success of your website may depend on how well designed it is. You’d want to make sure the designer takes the utmost care while developing it. Your website is the face of your enterprise.
If you’re running a brick and mortar shop, chances are most people will pay a visit to your website first before they step foot in your store. Every proper site designed by an atlanta web design company is founded upon several key pillars of web design.
If it lacks in any aspect, it could tarnish the look of your brand. Many are unaware of how critical web design is when it comes to conversions. If your page doesn’t look like much, even an excellent conversion-boosting tactic might not help you.
But, it doesn’t all come down to how your page feels or looks. How it works is also key. Even the simplest websites can do great with search engines. Maintenance, competitiveness, keeping up with the latest trends, and everything else that comes with it can be overwhelming at first.
After all, it’s an art that encompasses several different fields. So, how do the best websites keep their edge? By sticking to several core principals.
Simplicity
It’s been proven over and over: simple works best. Overdoing it may not do the trick. One might feel the urge to constantly “make improvements” because they want to reach perfection, but it is important to exercise restraint.
Putting too many things on one page can be distracting to visitors. It takes the focus off the site’s main purpose. A fresh, simple, clean design makes the website look appealing.
Moreover, it makes navigation much easier. Visitors should be able to go from one page to another seamlessly. Simplicity leads to effectiveness. Loading elements that don’t serve the main purpose can be annoying.
Navigation
It should be easy to find buttons to navigate the website. The buttons should be well described and clearly look like navigation buttons. Those buttons should be located towards the top of the page. The text of every button has to clearly say where it’s taking the visitor.
You’d want to make sure the navigation is usable, aside from common sense. For instance, you’d want to make sure a user won’t lose the rollover when navigating to the sub-menu items. One way to do it is to change the image or color on rollover.
There’s no excuse not to orient the visitor since there are lots of ways to do it. If you’re running a smaller website, a “down” version of a navigation button or just a big heading ought to do the trick.
If your site is large, you can employ sub-headings and bread crumb trails. For the truly lost, there’s always the option of creating a site map. When designing your website, keep in mind that creating a complex navigation system is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.
Consistency
Throughout each of the pages, make sure the design elements match. Consistency is vital. The headings, sub-headings, sizes, fonts, and button styles should be the same throughout the site.
Decide on the right colors and fonts for your buttons and texts. It is important to plan everything in advance. Stick to your ideas throughout the development. To keep the complete info about elements and design styles, you can employ CSS (Cascading Style Sheets).
Security
Many overlook the importance of cybersecurity measures. Even though security doesn’t seem like it’s integral to web design, it’s actually crucial. Many websites require users to input sensitive info when registering or trying to make a purchase.
Visitors want to be certain that their sensitive data, such as names, phone numbers, addresses, log-in credentials, or credit card numbers, are protected. Some platforms entirely depend on security and trust.
For example, if you want to set up a new casino platform, you’d want to do everything you can to put your clients’ minds at ease. When it comes to games of chance, such platforms take security very seriously.
Some websites even include biometric scans for authentication. Admittedly, your website may not need to go so far – it depends on what kind of platform it is. However, you should make sure to at least install an SSL certificate.
The whole world wide web is steadily moving towards an HTTPS-only standard. You wouldn’t want your users to read “Your connection to this site is not secure” each time they load your webpage. In case you don’t have HTTPS encryption, take care of it on time to avoid losing visitors in the future.
Readability and Typography
Your design can be terrific, but the text still rules. After all, it conveys the desired information to the users. It’s an integral part of SEO activities as search engine crawlers are well acquainted with the fact, so you should be too.
Content should be readable and the typography should be visually appealing. Think about using fonts that read easily. Don’t neglect the use of meta-data, keywords, and other SEO-sensitive elements.
Mobile Compatibility
Your website should be functional on all platforms. Tablets and smartphones are becoming more popular each day.
The design has to work on a variety of screens. There are a lot of excellent tools and web design services that can help you create an adaptive and responsive design for all screen sizes.
Imagery and Colors
A poor color palette leads to distraction. A perfect combination, on the other hand, can create a pleasant environment. A tasteful choice of colors will leave a good impression.
To give a balanced look to your site, select a complementary color palette. That way, you’ll create an enhanced user experience. Remember to use white space. It’s the best way to avoid visual mess and clutter.
Three or four colors for the whole site are enough to establish a clear and appealing design. Avoid using too many colors. The same goes for images.
Conclusion
You can easily create a functional and aesthetically pleasing website by sticking to the aforementioned principles. You are sure to succeed with a clean and user-friendly design.
Just remember, you don’t need anything extraordinary. Instead, stick to the fundamentals.
