The design of your website has a direct effect on the amount of money you make. Regardless of size, small businesses and large corporations alike should always keep these nine essential website design tips in mind to maximize revenue from their sites.
One of the most essential website design tips is to remember that your site should convey value. Each section should clearly communicate what the purpose of your website and how it can benefit visitors.
1. Keep it simple
When designing a website for either your business or personal portfolio, simplicity should be your goal, as StoryWorks recommends. Not only will this boost your SEO rankings but it will provide an enjoyable experience for site visitors as well.
With simple shapes and white space, you’ll be able to get rid of distracting elements and give your site a cleaner, more modern appearance.
A simpler design makes it simpler for you to update your website with new information and bug fixes, saving both time and money in the long run.
Simple websites are easier to translate onto mobile devices than graphics-rich designs, since mobile is now a major driver of internet traffic.
2. Put your logo in the top left or center
Logos are essential for brand recognition, so ensure they’re visible on your website. They can be utilized in both the header and favicon (the small icon that appears next to your URL).
Logos are typically left-aligned to guide users when they first arrive on a page. Additionally, logos provide links back home – an essential navigational aid.
Some designers opt to break the rules and place their logos in an unconventional location on a page, even though this could negatively affect branding and navigation. This type of mistaken design could result in higher bounce rates and reduced customer retention – so be cautious when creating your website!
3. Make it easy to contact you
One of the best ways to enhance your website’s user experience is making contact with you easier for visitors. This should include offering multiple contact methods (email, phone, social media) so visitors can find the most convenient way to reach you.
Offering multiple methods to contact you is especially essential if you have multiple departments or employees, as some staff members may prefer email over phone contact.
As a general guideline, include all your contact information on the page – including any forms – so that you can quickly and efficiently respond to queries. Furthermore, this makes it convenient for users to leave you their info.
4. Make it mobile-friendly
With more people turning to mobile devices for internet browsing than desktops, it’s essential that your website is optimized for this medium. This involves altering its design to look good on smaller screens and offering a smooth, responsive user experience.
Making your website mobile-friendly requires using media queries, which allow you to customize how it looks on different screen sizes. For instance, if a hero image is too large for mobile devices, you can hide it and save bandwidth by hiding it.
Another mobile-friendly design tip is to utilize simple menus on your website that enable users to quickly locate what they need. Doing this can improve conversions and boost SEO rankings alike.
5. Make it easy to navigate
Maintaining website navigation is essential for providing a user-friendly experience. Not only does it impact accessibility, bounce rates and conversions on your site, but it can also enhance it significantly.
If your website is difficult to use, visitors are more likely to leave and never return again. This can have an adverse effect on both search engine rankings and sales figures.
No matter your website’s purpose, ensure the navigation is logical and matches how people typically search for information online. Consider using a hierarchical structure instead of dropdown menus.