By Gabby Klesser
Businesses know the significant role that websites play in their success story. These sites represent a company and its brand; they serve as an online address that people can visit anytime they want. Websites are like online marketplaces where visitors learn and get all the information they need about a product or service.
Websites also help businesses connect with their customers – the current and potential ones. Each time visitors open a webpage, they tell companies what they need, like, or want based on their actions on the site. These pieces of information help businesses determine what they need to improve on or keep doing and what else they can do to keep customers’ interest and engagement up.
There are thousands, probably even millions, of webpages competing for visitors’ attention every day. As such, a website has to stand out to be noticed, and for this to happen, businesses have to ensure they follow the best web design essentials.
What are these essentials, and how can they help bring visitors to your website?
It takes only a few seconds for users to decide whether they like your website or if they’d instead do something more interesting. These few seconds are precious, and the only window you have to catch your visitors’ attention and interest, enough for them to stay and check out the rest of the pages. You have to keep them engaged and inspire them to return and make a purchase. Your website’s design essentials – the layout, typefaces, font sizes, and the general appearance of your page – will help you achieve your goal.
You should focus on these elements if you want your web page to stand out and command a strong online presence. However, effective website design involves more than just aesthetic aspects. An eye-catching site is not just about looking good or exuding visual appeal; there are several factors that designers have to work on diligently, and that businesses like yours need to understand.
Audiences often gauge if a website is easy or difficult to navigate. How simple is it to find the information they need? How fast does a page load? If you were browsing through a website, you wouldn’t want to wait for more than a few seconds for the page to load, would you?
How relevant is the page’s content? Let’s say you’re interested in buying a vacation home somewhere in Florida. You searched for a real estate company and found one, but the content did not say anything about the buying process, types of homes available, and even contact information when you visited their website. Would you want to stay on that website? If a webpage cannot deliver what the target audience needs, it won’t get the online attention it desires.
A flexible and mobile-friendly website will work wonders for your brand, particularly if you want to rank well in Google’s search engine results pages. Additionally, when you discover how search engine optimization can help your site, you’ll want to apply some SEO techniques to your pages and content.
Visitors also like it when they see visually appealing colors and images, and when they feel safe and secure transacting through your site.
Ultimately, what you should remember when designing a website is your visitors. Design the website not for you but for the people who matter the most – your customers.
If you’re planning to create a website, whether it’s for your business or some other purpose, you’ll need to know all the design essentials necessary for creating a page that attracts, engages, and delivers. Check out this infographic for a visual discussion of the things you need to consider when designing your website.
About the Author
Gabby Klesser is the Outreach Manager for LA Website Design, a digital marketing agency that has assembled a team of expert web designers and digital marketing strategists. She often writes about web design, UX, social media, technology, marketing, and starting a non-profit.
