Top 9 Web Design Basics
Did you know that a staggering 38% of people will exit a website if it doesn’t have an appealing design or user-friendly layout?
Although an alarming 50% of small businesses report that they do not have a website for their business. It should be noted that a website is critical for any business in 2020 and beyond.
A website can increase lead conversion, generate traffic and engagement online for your brand. Ultimately, it will become the first place people will search for information about your business.
Are you looking forward to having a website for your business? Outlined below are the top 9 web design basics you did not know (but should)!
Web Design Basics: Must-Knows
Before we head onto the top 9 web design basics you should absolutely know. We wanted to share with you just a few fundamental ideas you should at the front of your mind.
First and foremost, your website will be the epicenter of your brand’s online presence. You need to ensure that your website is a true reflection of not only your brand, but your values and mission too. Your brand colors need to match, your tone and copywriting should flow fluidly throughout your website.
Secondly, you need to remember that your website isn’t just about good information but about good design too. Keep this front of mind as you navigate through the web design basics tips. You and your new website will be that much better for the experience.
1. Define Your Purpose
You don’t just want to have a website because you think you should have a website.
Your business’ website needs to have a purpose. This means that every page on your website should have both a purpose and a goal.
What does this mean?
Well, you’ll want to communicate all the important information about your business and its services or products in the most effective, user-friendly way, BUT, you still need to keep in mind what will be helpful to your visitor too.
Think about what pages will be purely for communicating information, and what pages are to be the ones that will include a call to action.
2. Simplicity Is Key
We know it’s tempting to want to get really detailed when you’ve landed on a fancy website from one of your competitors, but more often than not, simplicity is better.
If your website’s pages have too many visual elements, too much action, and too many conflicting colors, your information may be lost in the haze of all the excitement.
Keep your web design simple and clean.
3. Consistency Rules
This means that you don’t want to change elements too drastically from one page of your website to the next.
If your menu bar looks a certain way on your homepage then it should remain that way on all other pages.
Consistency throughout your website will make it easier for your visitor to navigate, as well as familiarize themselves with your content and layout.
4. Communicate Effectively
We know you’ve got your content down, and you know what information you want to display.
The trick is how you display your information and content. This is almost as important as the content itself.
Ensure that your communication is done effectively on your website by using headings, sub-headings, bullet points and easy to read formatting.
5. Typefaces Matter
You may think that a dainty, cursive font will make your website more unique but alas, your focus for your website should be easy readability.
If your typefaces and fonts aren’t easy to read across PC, smartphones and other mobile devices, you’ll quickly lose your visitor’s attention.
Instead, go with traditional fonts that are easy to read and decipher.
6. Coordinating Colors
There’s nothing worse than a boring website, we know. But this doesn’t mean you should go crazy with bright colors and crazy combinations.
When it comes to color, sticking to complementary, and contrasting colors is the key to success.
Text and background colors should be contrasting so reading is easier. Extremely bright colors should be reserved for calls-to-action and buttons, so you can sparingly grab the attention of your website visitor.
Lastly, white space is a great way to give your website a smooth, modern look and feel. Don’t feel like you have to fill your whole website with colors!
7. Pretty With Pictures
It can be tempting to fill your website with image after image, but each picture you use should serve a purpose, strategically-speaking.
Your images should either serve a purpose for your brand, or for your products. Visual elements should be used in place of long, winding texts to make your website more appealing. (Aside from your blog pages of course!)
Make sure all the pictures you use are of a high resolution and professional-looking so that your website is of a high standard.
8. Focus on Layouts
Using a grid layout is always a good idea for your website’s basic design.
When laying out your website, using grid-based layouts can give your website the appearance of being organized and professional. If you steer away from grids, your website can easily look a bit messy and create an untidy appearance.
Grids will help keep your website looking and feeling balanced.
9. Be Ready for All Devices
If you’re just starting your website, then being prepared for visitors from desktop and mobile devices from the beginning will make your life a whole lot easier.
Ensure that your website is desktop and mobile friendly and can be used and viewed on all devices.
The best way to do this is to ensure that your website is built in a responsive manner. Basically this means that your website will ‘change’ to be viewed in the best way possible according to which device your visitor is using.
Web Design Basics for the Win
Now that you’ve got the ultimate web design basics down, your checklist is ready and you’re about to press the go button, sit back and remember the following things:
- Your website will never be fully complete, keep up to date with changes that are needed and keep updating as much as you can
- A website needs new and fresh content regularly to stay relevant
- Your website is an ongoing project, take the time to understand your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy and keep working at it
Head on over to the web design section of our blog for more professional and useful articles to keep you on the road to website success.
