Yes, there are ways to build a website for free. But does that mean you should? Will your new website be as robust and functional as you need it to be? And, most importantly, will it wow visitors and convert them to customers?
The field of web design changes quickly and often. We have watched web design evolve and been thought leaders in the space. Here are our must-have web design elements.
Today's internet users are much more sophisticated than those of 20, 10, or even 2 years ago. Attention spans notoriously continue to decrease, and users are demanding off-the-chart experiences. Meeting that expectation is the key to website design success.
Fortunately, web design is more of a science now than it is an art. Professionals in the field have even learned how to adapt to mobile technology, because more than half of all website traffic is from mobile devices.
1. Simple Navigation
Intuitive navigation is the scaffolding of your website (particularly e-commerce). Few things frustrate users more than struggling to get around or redirects to pages they weren’t looking for. Some key things to remember here are simple directional navigation, a link to the home page and a clear indication of where the user is on the site.
2. Space
Use it.
Picture a few websites you visit and analyze if they're littered with gifs and popups you find frustrating. Those days are gone and not considered best practices.
Recently-designed websites incorporate more space between text and images. Keeping it clutter-free brings your most important messaging to the forefront.
Flow, layout, readability and focus all revolve around your usage of space.
3. Consistent Theme
It may be tempting to give a grand menagerie of visual experiences throughout your website, but it’s more important to keep things consistent. Choose a theme and stick with it throughout the pages. The last thing you want is the user wondering if they landed on another site, broke your CSS or stumbled onto a relic from a previous update.
4. Usability
Some of the primary considerations during a website redesign may revolve around branding, aesthetics, landing pages and CTAs. Remember that above all else, if your website struggles with usability, all your other efforts will go to waste.
Navigation is a major pain point in UX, but it also includes load times, as well as accessibility to resources and information. Make your user experience intuitive, fun and accessible.
These are the web design elements we see missed most often. If you would like information on professional website design, contact us today.
