Because websites are so prevalent in the business world today, you want a web design that stands out above all others. Your site’s design represents your business and how you work. Moreover, a great web design can be an effective marketing tool. First impressions are everything. Your website gives potential customers a first impression of your business. When your web design falls short, you lose customers. Luckily, having a great website doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are five things that make a great web design.
Easy to Use
A great website needs to provide an easy way for customers to gain access to your company and the information that you want to deliver. No one wants to go to a website that’s impossible to navigate. For this reason, your website design needs an easy to use and follow format. Ease of use is a crucial component. You want your website to be obvious and self-explanatory when consumers use it. If visitors are confused when they enter your site, they are more likely to leave. A great web design makes it easy for users to get to what they are looking for on your site. Websites are successful when they present a simple, intuitive, and functional navigation.
Works Quickly and Efficiently
Your website needs to do more than just appeal to customers. It needs to work efficiently. Have you ever come across a site that just wouldn’t load? You most likely didn’t stay there long. Websites that load too slowly are less likely to be successful. Visitors don’t want to wait minutes for each page. It’s essential for your website to work quickly and efficiently. Users should be able to navigate your site smoothly with minimal delays. For this reason, speed is a must when it comes to having a successful web design. Great web designs can load quickly and work efficiently. If your visitors wait for more than even a second or two for your page to load, expect them to exit your site just as quickly.
Captures Users Attention
The design of your website needs to present both static and dynamic content. Great site design attracts the user’s attention to important aspects of your site; just like artwork. One of the simplest ways to improve your web design and capture the attention of users involves the use of quality photos. Using images helps to focus the visitor’s attention on specific areas of your site. It also helps visitors navigate from point A to point B. This technique aids the usability of your site and gives a better experience for the user, which makes a great web design.
Keep It Simple
While having plenty content on your site is useful, you don’t want to overdo it. As your primary goal, keep the design of your website simple. It is rare that users visit your site to enjoy the design or layout. Visitors are more likely looking for information on your site. For this reason, you don’t want to clutter your site with advertisements. Ads and other content often block the user from obtaining the information they truly want. An aggressively busy web design pushes visitors away, rather than drawing them in. A standard quality among great web designs includes clearly presented information, void of unnecessary crowding.
Test Early and Often
Testing your website helps provide a useful insight into your web design. Using the TETO (test early, test often) principle lets you quickly identify problems and issue with your web design. To the dismay of many, no web design works universally. Quality websites are designed to fit a specific niche. Testing your design early on allows you to catch problems before they affect your site’s traffic. Testing often enables you to detect any hidden issues not found in early testing. While testing your website may not always result in the discovery of a significant design flaw, it does give insight into areas of your design that could use some improvements. Continuously improving and critiquing your site to fit your users’ needs is crucial when it comes to creating a great website.
Your website plays an integral part in your marketing campaign. Often, it is where customers encounter your business for the first time. It’s up to you to make sure that your web design invites customers in rather than drive them away. While there are several characteristics in a great web design, there are five that stand out from the rest. These five components include ease of use, working quickly and efficiently, capturing the attention of users, and providing a simple and cohesive layout. Lastly, it also includes a web design that holds up to testing. Verify that these elements are present in your web design and ensure the online success of your company.