It takes only 5 seconds for the website visitors to decide whether they want to explore or skip your website.
So, you get a few seconds to convey what your company does. Is your website design layout easy to understand and navigate? Is it simple enough for the user to understand it at first glance?
If your answer to all these questions is a “no,” it might be the time to reconsider the design of your website.
Thought-provoking content is not enough to make a website successful. The style and the user experience and functionality of the website also count. Although the choices may vary with the taste of every visitor, there are few ground rules to follow while deciding the website’s appearance.
Here are some quick tips to design an effective website and get more value from those hard-earned visits.
Keep your homepage free of clutter
Cluttered web pages are unattractive. Too many elements create confusion in the user’s mind and turn them away. So throwing so many texts, images and videos may be difficult for the visitor to digest and also increase the loading time of your page. We suggest breaking a large piece of text with subheadings and legible paragraphs. Also, use images or icons alternatively to communicate your point.
Have a key phrase-focused headline high on the homepage
Most of the users decide whether the site is the right place for them by seeing the headline. So, take it as an opportunity and use a target key phrase in the headline and indicate relevance. Write something descriptive that clearly explain what your company does high up on the page.
Establish a clear visual hierarchy
With the technologies like computer screens and smartphones evolving at a rapid pace, it is essential to arrange the content in a clear manner. As you have only a few seconds to catch the attention and convey what your website is about, you should have a clear hierarchy to follow. Establishing a clear hierarchy of the information and website design will compel the reader to instinctively follow the breadcrumbs that are left by your content. Next, for further accentuation, make use of color, contrast, size and spacing.
Make it easy to navigate for users
Well, you may be an artist in your mind, but website navigation is not the right place to show your artistic side. Your site must catch the attention of the visitor instead of sending them on a wild goose hunt. Solid navigation helps search engines to index the content of your site while improving the user experience. Here are some common practices that should be used by a website design company to make the navigation easier.
- Link your logo to your homepage
- Include a structured menu at the top
- Offer vertical navigation
- Have your content “Above-The-Fold.”
- Work on your footer
Keep it mobile friendly
In the era of mobility, it is essential to keep pace with the mobile world where 80% of internet users use Smartphone. Most of your visitors may see your website on the go on their mobile phones. This is why you must optimize your website design for mobile.
Include easy reading content
Readability of your site determines how easy it is for the readers to recognize words and sentences. The sites with high readability make it simple for the user to efficiently scan and take in the information on your site without much effort. Here are some key rules to follow while including the content on your website.
- Have sufficient contrast
- Keep your body text at least 16pt
- Sans Serif is best for online texts
- Don’t use more than three different typefaces
- Keep it harmonious and clutter-free
Select the right Images
Images play a crucial part in website development and design. Every image is not going to fit with the type of message you’re trying to convey. Many free images are there to choose from. Ideally, you should include images of the real people to bring more realism to your brand.
But a website design company can also choose the right type of stock photo when the real photographs aren’t an option. But make sure the images you include justify the content of your website. 3D website design is also being popular to bring tremendous realism.
Evaluate your web page
Testing the performance is a crucial part while creating a website. You can learn about the conversion paths, how many times the user clicks on your page and how far users scroll by testing your page. Simple changes in a website can make a huge difference in the performance. You can use tools like A/B test to know what users are doing.
On that note
Keep in mind; you will get only a few seconds to explain your value proposition to your website visitors. Also, the back button of the browser is the most commonly used command on the web. If you fail in answering a user’s needs right away, they will click “back” and exit your site. Put the above tips to work to draw visitors in and give them reasons to stay.
