Written by a Contributor
There are thousands, if not millions, of websites out there and each one has the potential to draw you in and offer services, products and information. But how many are that good that they make you stop browsing and take a visit? Probably not that many and that’s fine but how can you make sure that your site is not one of those scrolled past? What are the secrets to a great website?
Even if you’re not a design expert, you already know what doesn’t work. Text: too much of it, too small, the wrong colour and background – anything that makes you work too hard to read it is a no. Images: poor quality, too generic, not enough, too many – anything that offends your eye will stop you engaging any further.
What’s less easy to pick out, is what does work, what does look attractive to the eye and engages the brain. Here we walk through some idea that might steer you towards the right path.
Layout
Clean is the word that springs to mind when you think of great website design. Edges that run parallel to each other, images that are aligned with text and with each other; basic design layout that works.
A web design agency will use a grid to get layout right, without one you’ll be guessing where on your page to add components which just wastes your time. Take the guesswork out and make it scientific.
Theme
Select your theme through trial and error but have in your mind an idea of what your website says about you, your product and personality. Whichever colours you choose, just make sure you stay consistent throughout the pages. Think accessibility in terms of reading and choose a typeface and font colour that is easy on the eye and doesn’t blend into the background.
Components
Although it might be tempting to add unlimited buttons and links to your site, think simple. Don’t be afraid to scale down the number of components you feature on your landing page and consider increasing the number of pages instead. Make sure, of course, that you test everything you put on your site. There’s nothing worse than broken links, buttons that take you nowhere and images that don’t load.
Have an idea in mind of what you want visitors to do on your website. If you’re asking them to sign up to a mailing list, lead them there on each page. If you’re selling products, lead them to the checkout. Don’t muddy the waters by including too many calls to action.
Whether you’re selling products, your business blog or showcasing your talents, your website is the number one go-to place for your followers to find out more about you. Your website is not the last thing on your to-do list but up there as a priority. Think clean, simple lines and layout, images and video that load well and are highly original. Choose a theme that speaks of who you and make people stop in their tracks at your site.
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