Functionality
and Usability
Check-Check-Check
before going online
and then check again!
Everything on your site has to work as it is intended. That means everything: from links to forms to e-commerce shopping carts. Nothing frustrates users like a site that doesn’t work how it is supposed to: it’s a sure way to alienate your visitors.
Site Speed
The speed of your site has a direct impact on how your users feel about it. Make sure your site is coded properly and your images are optimized. Whenever possible, use page caching to speed up your site.
Less is More
A simple design cuts down on unnecessary design elements and reduces clutter. Ask yourself if each element is really needed, and if it’s not, remove it. Simple designs are not at all easy to achieve. As Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once said: “Less is More: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.”
Mobile/Responsive Design
A well designed site works great across all devices. Test your site on multiple devices, making sure the layout works at all screen sizes. Avoid making your users zoom in on the elements of your site when they are using a mobile device. Also, test the speed of your site on multiple mobile devices to ensure fast loading times.
Successful Website Design
Websites come in all shapes and sizes, but some aspects are mandatory for success. A well designed site provides the information quickly and efficiently.
It is also optimized to bring in the right traffic from search engines – traffic that will actually convert into customers.
Planning
What is the purpose of the site?
What would make the site a success?
How are you going to differentiate yourself from similar sites?
What kind of emotions do you want people to feel?
How will the site be maintained?
Who is my target audience?
How will they find my site?
A well designed website asks the all too important questions at the beginning
and uses the answers to form a road map throughout the rest of the design process.
But which are the questions to ask?
Let’s look at them together:
Answering successfully to these questions at the beginning
is what helps make the design decisions later much easier.
First Impression
Remember: you only have a very short period of time in which to “hook” your visitors!
So you need to create a reason for people to stay immediately. That means creating empathy and arouse interest right away: the tone or feeling that represents you and makes people feel good and interested in your products or services must come through immediately. This is accomplished with beautiful images, creative typography, colour usage, generous whitespace, and good copywriting, just like a marvelous symphony.
Simple Navigation
The organisation of your website should be nice and simple for visitors to find the information they’re looking for and don’t waste anytime which is only going to make them want to look somewhere else.
Your main navigation needs to be easily identifiable and give users an immediate overview of what is on your site. Avoid using elaborate labels for your main navigation, instead use one or two words that directly sum up what information can be found in each page or section.
1. Whitespace
Whitespace are so very important and by this we mean the spacing between the various elements on your site. Good use of whitespace guides your visitors. A lack of whitespace makes the website feel cluttered and claustrophobic, but proper use of whitespace creates a calm and relaxed experience.
2. Typography
The fonts used on a site say a lot about the business behind them, and introduce to the overall tone of the site. Variation in size, weight and placement of typography helps create interest. It is important to achieve the right balance with fonts. Avoid using too many different ones, and make sure your typography is easy to read at all times.
3. Images
The images you use on your site require careful thought and consideration. Each image must have a clear purpose, and they should be used to capture and guide the attention of your visitors. Whenever possible, use photos with real people in them because they tend to resonate your average viewers. Don’t just put up an image for its own sake; make sure it contributes to the overall mission of the site.
4. Videos
Creative video is a wonderful way to showcase your company or brand in a way that resonates with users. Video has proven to be very effective in terms of ROI and if you’re looking to really boost your online marketing it might be a good idea to look into video production. Background videos are also becoming more common, and are a fantastic way to connect with users in a way that still images cannot.
If you’re interested in video production for your business but don’t know where to start, just ask us: we create awesome footage!
5. Colours
The colours on your site should be a natural fit with your business and brand, and you of course.
Are you trying to create a calm and relaxed feeling with your users? If so, try to create analogous or monochromatic color scheme.
Want arouse action in your users? Try using a bold complementary color scheme.
Be sure not to overpower your design with too many colours.
It’s easy for the colors on your site to turn into an unnecessary distraction if not used in the right way.
Use colour to draw attention to important information and calls to action.
General Appearance
A great site appears visually appealing and polished. Your design should convey the feeling and essence of the person or business behind it. A good design is very intentional about how it uses the following:
Conclusion
As you can see, it takes a lot of thought and consideration to create a purrrfect website. All elements of the site need to work together and complement one another. A beautiful design is just the beginning of what it takes to make a website a success.
Search Engine Optimization
A well designed website considers how people will find it in search engines. This can’t be an afterthought. It must be considered in the beginning of the project and used to determine everything from how the copy is written to how the pages are organized. Good SEO is more than just attracting a lot of traffic – it’s about bringing the right traffic that is looking for exactly what you’re offering on your site.
There are over 200 factors that go into determining how your website will rank with Google. But, the fundamentals of good SEO are determining how your target audience will try to find your site in search engines, what keywords and phrases they will use, and incorporating that language into your design in a way that is easy for Google to read and index.
