Basic Components of Good Website Design
First impressions are incredibly important, especially in business. These days, when someone is trusting you to do business with, they are basing it on very little. Maybe a couple of social posts, a video or two, and most definitely your website.
Your website is the window to your business. It is usually the first point of contact or the final decision maker, between you and a potential customer.
A website can lead to conversions, repeat customers, and profits for your business. Keeping the user in mind when designing a website is important as it allows for them to get the most out of their experience, find the information they need, and effectively make decisions.
Here are my top four things to keep in mind in your website design so you can turn looky-loos into customers.
Intuitive Navigation
The first component of a good website is functionality. Haven’t you ever gotten frustrated because the website you are trying to buy something off of or get information from isn’t working? Or maybe there is a broken link that brings you nowhere.
A functional website should be intuitive to navigate through and should also be easy to search for something specific. It should have the ability to load quickly and maintain its speed even when large amounts of data are being accessed.
Clean Layout
Haven’t you ever been to a website that has a lot of text or too much going on? It can be confusing to figure out what you need to do next and most people will give up before they ever get what they need.
Having a clean layout for your website is easy for not-so-tech-savvy users to understand. With a clean layout, there is nothing that will make the user feel confused or frustrated when trying to use the website because there is no clutter or distractions.
Mobile Responsiveness
A recent study from Shopify showed that conversion rates were higher for companies that had a mobile-friendly site (Gardner). These days, more business is done on mobile devices and tablets than on traditional desktop computers. That means your website needs to work on cell phones and tablets as well.
Having a responsive website ensures your site looks great across all devices and screen sizes. A responsive website keeps people on your site longer — and the longer they're on your website, the more likely they will do business with you.
Branded Elements
Your website is the digital reflection of your brand, and it should accurately and positively represent your business. That means sticking to your core color scheme, utilizing a high-resolution logo, and having consistent messaging and value propositions.
Make people feel what it’s like to do business with you before they actually do business with you.
There’s a lot that goes into creating a website that meets your business goals - even beyond these 4 key characteristics. I am happy to give your website the once over and get on a call with you to evaluate what you can do to make it that much more functional. Use this link to set up a FREE 30-minute consultation with me and see what I mean, first hand.
