The Top 5 Elements for Great Web Design
Whether it is web design in Dallas or web design in any other part of the world there are a number of important factors to keep in mind as the site is being built. Web design is more of an art than anything, and the people who do it can either be great…or not. When it comes to effective web design there are 5 top elements that will help your site to live up to its full potential. Want to know what they are? Keep reading.
1 The Top of the Fold
First impressions count. What people see when they land on a web page matters, in a big way. Anybody searching around the internet is more likely to stay on a website that they trust as opposed to staying on one that might be infected with malware, or is part of a scam.
When a person lands on a website the first thing that they see is an area known as “above the fold.” They call it that because it is what is the area that is directly in the line of sight where they do not have to scroll to see it.
This area is very important because it can either engage a visitor or repel them. Depending on the audience it could go either way…this is why it is a good idea to understand your target audience before you ever publish your website.
Understanding your target audience and using pillar keywords and phrases that make sense to users is more likely to establish trust and provide a reason for them to stay on the site and look deeper into what it has to offer.
The images that you use and the wording that you provide will make all of the difference in the world. Do not waste this space with irrelevant information. Be to the point and prompt about giving your audience what they are looking for and that they can get it.
2 Simple Navigation
People want to be able to find what they are looking for and get answers as quickly as possible. There are literally billions of other websites out there that they can look at. If yours does not provide a clear path to the goal, people will bounce away and be gone before you know it.
If you look at most of the successful websites you can see that the main navigational menu is right there in your face with clearly marked labels. In addition to the clear labels, you might also notice that the main labels will change as the seasons do. Holiday specials, current events, fundraisers for disasters, and more.
In addition to the main menu, it is good practice to have a search box where people can type in what they are looking for and be presented with answers quickly and conveniently.
3 Readable Fonts
Although some companies may have a certain style that they like because it looks amazing, it is very important for visitors to be able to read what they are looking at. There is probably no faster way to lose potential customers than to present them with information that they can’t understand.
When it comes to readable fonts it is best to go for a font that is not decorative and is without extra windings or curves.
While headings can be decorative to an extent, the text that carries the message of the business is best if it is without distraction. San-serif fonts are probably the best way to go because they are straightforward forward and letters can be seen without the hindrance of squiggly lines or extra “feet.”
Communication is key when it comes to connecting with and engaging your customers. Do everything that you can to create an inviting, and comfortable environment for your users. Not only will it provide confidence in the company, but it can lead to higher conversion rates.
4 Calls to Action
When it comes to placing call-to-action buttons it is important to remember balance. On one side of the spectrum, if there is no clear direction for users to take in order to get to the goal of the site and convert from browsers to customers they will not. On the other side of the spectrum if there are too many loud invitations for people to BUY NOW they may feel like they can not trust the website.
A call to action is a button or a prompt of some sort that allows the user to make a purchase, sign up for an email campaign, enroll in a program, or download a file. Whatever the case may be when it comes to the site and the goal of the site, a call to action prompts visitors to take action and become a part of whatever the site has to offer.
Many websites make the mistake of adding “Click Here” buttons and text in order to attempt to get visitors to act…however…this does not seem to be effective.
What web marketers have discovered is that if you prompt users to engage with the website it is much more effective than trying to persuade them with high-excitement click links.
For example, after a heading accompanied by an attractive image a button with the words “Learn More” or “Discover How” is more engaging and offers something besides a mere click.
Instead of an in-your-face aggressive approach, a call to action that is strategically placed by meaningful content will invite users to engage with the website as opposed to merely following prompts.
5 Clean, Reliable Code
There is nothing more frustrating than visiting a website that has faulty code. Code is what makes the website look and function the way that is supposed to. If that code has bugs, there is no telling what the site will do when it is presented to a user.
It is best to have your website up to date with the latest format of its version of code. If your web developer is savvy and understands how important it is to have good, code they will have no problem keeping your site up-to-date and fully functional with the latest versions of whatever code your platform is built upon.
In addition to having reliable code, it is also important to make sure that your site is hosted on a platform that is strong enough to handle as much traffic as you may get while being secure enough to withstand cyber attacks by criminals that might want to hijack it and create malicious pages.
The code that your site is built with and the server that it is hosted on are the things that are going to keep your site up and running as visitors visit it. Make sure that the site is always operating at its optimum potential.
Conclusion
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to brilliant, effective web design. From images to fonts to color choices and beyond there are a plethora of components that can contribute to the overall user experience as they navigate the pages.
Looking good is only the tip of the iceberg. Of curse, it is important for the site to look fabulous, but the functionality of the site and whether or not it is able to provide the users with a flawless journey from start to finish is very critical. When you keep all of these main factors in mind as you are building the site, you have a good chance of building a beautiful, effective, functional website that does what it is supposed to do.
