Web Design - Getting Back To Basics
Whether you’re an experienced web designer or completely new to the concept and just starting to plan your small business website, getting back to basics is a great way of stripping the complex nature of design back and allowing yourself to focus on the really important parts of what you’re doing.
Web design is often considered to be the fun part of building a website, suitable for creatives and those who have a strong vision for how their website will look and translate to users. But what does a good website look like, and how do you create something which is both functional and aesthetically pleasing to the wide variety of users you expect to use your site?
In this blog we will be uncovering some of the key concepts associated with web design, before finishing with a few tips from our team.
Something you should already be doing - work out how your brand is visually presented and then factor those colours and design styles into your website. Making sure that your brand is represented cohesively across different platforms is key.
A picture can speak a thousand words, and in a website environment you should be keeping information concise and words at a minimum. Use images to make your website bright and vibrant and consider how infographics and other visual graphics could speak to your reader and help your brand to develop some credibility and reliability.
This is what enables users to move around your website, and so is a focal part of any web design - no matter how complex or basic. Make sure your menu is logical, that categorising is done in a sensible and informative way, and that all internal link buttons are working.
White space is becoming increasingly popular in good web design as it enables users to really digest information and access the key points of the website without becoming distracted. Similarly, using a structured content plan will make reading your website easier for users, creating a balanced and aesthetically pleasing layout.
Don’t try to reinvent the wheel - as part of our back-to-basics tips for web design, we highly recommend following existing research which shows that readers focus most clearly on content which is at the top and on the left hand side of a web page. Anything you place distinctly on the right hand side is more likely to be ignored, so think carefully about which content and copy is placed in different locations on your webpage.
This one has as much to do with SEO and search engine results success as it has to do with user experience and conversion. Making sure that your website is stable with a fast load time is key to reducing and minimising your bounce rate - with users typically giving up on a website which takes more than 2.5 seconds to load.
Mobile optimisation is a crucial aspect of website design as it enables your website to be presented across any device without impacting the experience. Depending on how you build your website and which tools you use, this can be optimised automatically or designed separately for different screens.
Finally for a few tips from us on how to bring those points to life on your own website.
1. The quality of content and copy is just as important as the way it is presented, and so we always suggest joining the two concepts together to create something which reads and looks great. Writing copy is easier when you know how much space you have to fill and how important those words are to the overall presentation and success of the page.
2. Function and Style have to go hand in hand when it comes to web design.
3. Always ask for constructive criticism and be prepared to review and change things on a regular basis. When you build a website, you will likely find that by the end, you are too close to the project to really be able to identify the good and the bad bits. Ask other users to review and let you know what works, then after launch use website data and the feedback of users to constantly review and make changes to boost conversion.
4. When in doubt, bring in the expertise of an experienced web design team - who can help to bring your vision to life.
For more advice or to get in touch with our team about website design, give us a call today.
Web design is often considered to be the fun part of building a website, suitable for creatives and those who have a strong vision for how their website will look and translate to users. But what does a good website look like, and how do you create something which is both functional and aesthetically pleasing to the wide variety of users you expect to use your site?
What Does Good Web Design Look Like?
Good web design is not just about how something looks - it is also about how it works and how intuitive it appears to the end user. A strong design will encourage users to follow certain customer journeys in a subtle but clear way, with Call to Action buttons and chunks of copy and content which support navigation and drive the customer through your website towards the intended action.In this blog we will be uncovering some of the key concepts associated with web design, before finishing with a few tips from our team.
The Elements Of Web Design
User Purpose
This is the first point on our list because it requires an in depth understanding of your target customer and what they’re looking for on your website. Whether your website is there to inform, entertain, or sell to your target customer, a strong web design will focus on the basic purpose of each page and make sure that content is created and arranged in line with meeting that need.Font
You wouldn’t believe how many websites are deemed unfriendly by users simply because of the font that’s been chosen. Font should be clear to read and presented in a colour which stands out rather than becoming lost on the page - with a focus on how colour appears on different screens, difference devices, and to those with different sight ailments and potential challenges. Too many different fonts can also become distracting, so focus on consistency while making the most important statements stand out.
Branding
Something you should already be doing - work out how your brand is visually presented and then factor those colours and design styles into your website. Making sure that your brand is represented cohesively across different platforms is key.
Imagery
A picture can speak a thousand words, and in a website environment you should be keeping information concise and words at a minimum. Use images to make your website bright and vibrant and consider how infographics and other visual graphics could speak to your reader and help your brand to develop some credibility and reliability.
Navigation & Menus
This is what enables users to move around your website, and so is a focal part of any web design - no matter how complex or basic. Make sure your menu is logical, that categorising is done in a sensible and informative way, and that all internal link buttons are working.
Structured Content Blocks
White space is becoming increasingly popular in good web design as it enables users to really digest information and access the key points of the website without becoming distracted. Similarly, using a structured content plan will make reading your website easier for users, creating a balanced and aesthetically pleasing layout.
Reader Behaviour
Don’t try to reinvent the wheel - as part of our back-to-basics tips for web design, we highly recommend following existing research which shows that readers focus most clearly on content which is at the top and on the left hand side of a web page. Anything you place distinctly on the right hand side is more likely to be ignored, so think carefully about which content and copy is placed in different locations on your webpage.
Load Time
This one has as much to do with SEO and search engine results success as it has to do with user experience and conversion. Making sure that your website is stable with a fast load time is key to reducing and minimising your bounce rate - with users typically giving up on a website which takes more than 2.5 seconds to load.
Optimisation
Mobile optimisation is a crucial aspect of website design as it enables your website to be presented across any device without impacting the experience. Depending on how you build your website and which tools you use, this can be optimised automatically or designed separately for different screens.
Tips For A Good Website
Finally for a few tips from us on how to bring those points to life on your own website.
1. The quality of content and copy is just as important as the way it is presented, and so we always suggest joining the two concepts together to create something which reads and looks great. Writing copy is easier when you know how much space you have to fill and how important those words are to the overall presentation and success of the page.
2. Function and Style have to go hand in hand when it comes to web design.
3. Always ask for constructive criticism and be prepared to review and change things on a regular basis. When you build a website, you will likely find that by the end, you are too close to the project to really be able to identify the good and the bad bits. Ask other users to review and let you know what works, then after launch use website data and the feedback of users to constantly review and make changes to boost conversion.
4. When in doubt, bring in the expertise of an experienced web design team - who can help to bring your vision to life.
For more advice or to get in touch with our team about website design, give us a call today.
