You’re a busy person. You don’t have time to think about the design of your website all day.
If you hire a web designer, you may not like what you get. If you go with a popular design style, it may not stand out.
But you can’t just ignore your website and hope it will go away. You need to be able to create a website that looks good and works well for your business.
Today, I’m going to show you some of the best website design tips I’ve found from running a web design company for the last 15 years.
1. Have a Plan
Before you start designing your website, it’s important to have a plan. Planning is a crucial part of the web design process and will help you identify your goals, target audience, and how you will achieve those goals.
Start by conducting a SWOT analysis of your current website and your competitor’s websites. Then, create a sitemap to outline the structure of your website. Finally, create a wireframe or mockup of your website to help you visualize the design.
Having a plan in place before you start designing will help you stay organized and focused as you work on your website.
2. Have a Clear Purpose
The best websites are those with a clear purpose. That means you need to know what you want your website to do before you start designing.
Do you want to sell products? Generate leads? Share information? Build a community? Your website’s purpose will influence everything from the layout to the content.
If you’re not sure what your website’s purpose is, take some time to think about it. Ask yourself why you’re building a website and what you hope to achieve with it. Once you have a clear purpose in mind, you can start designing your website to meet that goal.
3. Create a Visual Hierarchy
Visual hierarchy is one of the most important principles of web design. It’s the order in which the human eye perceives what it sees. For example, we see the logo at the top of the page first before we see the navigation bar, and then the main image.
A good web design will use visual hierarchy to lead the user’s eye to the most important elements first. This is often done by using different sizes, colors, and textures.
Pro tip: Try to define what the most important element on your page is and then use the visual hierarchy to lead the user’s eye to that element.
4. Limit the Number of Choices
The paradox of choice is a real thing. And it can cause problems for users on your website.
If you present people with too many options, they can become overwhelmed and not take any action at all.
Limit choices in the design of your website, including the number of options in the main navigation, the number of products in a grid, the number of colors or fonts, and the number of calls to action on the screen at once.
Too many choices can also make your website design look cluttered and disorganized.
5. Use Color Strategically
Color is a powerful tool for web design. It can help you create a strong first impression and influence how users feel about your website and your brand. But, if you’re not careful, it can also be overwhelming and distracting.
When it comes to color, less is more. Try to stick to a limited color palette of two to four colors. You can use different shades and tints of these colors to create contrast and to draw attention to different parts of your website.
It’s also a good idea to think about the psychological effects of different colors and to consider how your color choices will affect your brand. For example, blue is often associated with trust and professionalism, while red is associated with energy and excitement.
If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at some of your favorite websites and see how they use color. You can also use a tool like Coolors to generate your own color palettes.
6. Use Images Sparingly
Images can be a powerful tool in web design, but they can also be overused. Too many images can slow down the loading time of your website and make it look cluttered.
Instead, use images sparingly and strategically. Choose high-quality, relevant images that help tell your brand’s story and support your content. Avoid using stock photos, and instead, invest in professional photography or take your own photos.
If you do use stock photos, be sure to choose them carefully and edit them to fit your brand’s style. You can also use other types of visual content, like videos, illustrations, and infographics, to add interest to your website.
7. Use Grid-Based Alignment
Grid-based alignment is a common layout technique that helps keep content organized and easy to read. It’s also a great way to add a professional polish to your website design.
When you use a grid, you can make sure that all of the elements on your page are aligned with each other, which creates a sense of order and harmony. This, in turn, makes your website more aesthetically pleasing and easier to navigate.
If you’re not already using a grid in your website designs, it’s time to start. Most website builders offer grid-based alignment tools, and you can also find grid systems that you can use to create a custom layout for your website.
8. Use Consistent Navigation
When users visit your website, they want to find what they’re looking for quickly. If they can’t, they’re likely to leave.
One of the best ways to improve usability and help users find what they’re looking for is to use consistent navigation.
Your website’s main navigation menu should be present on every page of your website. This allows users to easily move between different sections of your website without having to hit the “back” button.
You should also use consistent navigation elements, like buttons and links, throughout your website. This will help users understand how to navigate your website and find the information they’re looking for.
9. Use “F” Pattern Design
Have you ever noticed that you tend to scan a page in the same way, no matter what website you are on? It’s true. Users tend to scan websites in an “F” pattern.
This means you should place the most important information on your website, such as your value proposition, in the top left corner of your website and then work your way to the right.
You want to avoid placing important information at the bottom of your website, as most users will never make it that far.
10. Use Search Engine Optimization
SEO is not just for content. In fact, your website design should also be optimized for search. This includes using keywords in your design, writing meta descriptions and using image alt tags. You should also make sure your website design is mobile-friendly. Google has announced that it will be using mobile-first indexing for all websites. This means that if your website design is not mobile-friendly, it could impact your search ranking.
11. Use Responsive Design
The last thing you want is for your website to look great on desktop, but not on mobile devices. With so many people using smartphones to browse the web, it’s important to use responsive design to make sure your website looks great on all screen sizes.
Responsive design is a web design approach that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes. This means your website will automatically adjust to look great on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers.
Conclusion
There are a lot of ways to improve your website’s design. If you need help, don’t hesitate to call us. We are experts in web design and are always happy to help!
