If you’re running a business, blogging, or managing an online store, just having a website isn’t enough to be successful. The design of your site plays a big role in attracting traffic and driving business. There are specific design rules that need attention in web page design to ensure your website becomes a valuable asset for you and your business.
It has been shown that 47% of people expect a web page to load within two seconds. Plus, if it takes longer than three seconds, around 40% of them will leave your site. That’s a chunk of your traffic you could be waving goodbye to if your site doesn’t deliver. But, with the right web page design, you can sidestep these costly slip-ups altogether. Failing to meet these expectations could result in a significant loss of traffic. You can avoid these mistakes with good web page development.
Below are essential design principles that help make a successful website.
1. Keep things simple and clean
Nothing turns people off more than a messy website that feels like you’re reading an encyclopedia. They seem unprofessional and hard to navigate. Your website should be comfortable, like a clean living room – easy to use and pleasant to look at. The more inviting your site feels, the longer people will stay.
2. Calls to action
When designing a website, it’s important to remember its purpose, whether it’s selling products, getting leads, or sharing information. Take a good look at your site and check if there are clear calls to action that guide users on what to do next. Do you use different colours and buttons to steer users to the pages you want them to visit? If you’ve answered no, your website design might not be working for you, and it might be time for a makeover.
3. Mobile responsive
Latest stats show that 58% of Australians check websites using a mobile device as opposed to a desktop computer. That’s why it’s important to make sure your website works well on all devices, especially mobiles. The simplest way to do this is by using a responsive framework. Responsive websites adjust to fit whatever device you’re using.
4. Quick loading
Waiting for a website to load can be frustrating. One crucial aspect of web design that’s often forgotten is how long it takes for a site to load. If a website isn’t optimized for speed, it can impact its rankings, traffic, and effectiveness. Optimising page speed involves things like resizing images, consolidating code into JavaScript or CSS files, and compressing JavaScript, CSS, and HTML to make pages load faster. To ensure your website is as effective as possible, talk to your designer about minimising load times.
5. Great content
Content is king!
It’s important for both marketing and technical reasons. A good website should always give priority to great content. Make sure your website has short, clear, and useful content. Your web design should have plenty of space and arrange content neatly. If necessary, consider hiring professional copywriters to create excellent content for your website.
6. SEO
When designing your website, it’s important to consider basic SEO. On-page SEO can significantly improve your site’s visibility to search engines, driving more traffic your way. Implement strategies like using links, organising content under clear headers, and highlighting key words. You should also include meta descriptions for images and videos embedded on pages. All these can enhance your site’s ranking on search engines. Make sure your web designer has a grasp of basic SEO principles and has applied them to your design.
Conclusion:
Make sure to hire a web designer who follows specific design principles. Keep the design simple and easy to understand, include clear calls to action, and ensure your site loads quickly with great content. Your site needs to be mobile-friendly and SEO techniques are incorporated. Following these basic guidelines can help create a successful website design.
