Everyone with a website is always looking for ways to make it better. If you are not actively doing that, you are setting yourself up for failure. Websites go stale within just a short time of their “completion.” A site that is two years old, for instance, is almost an antique. Web design has come a long way since the internet was created and there are things you can do to make yours interesting, informative and, most of all, helpful for your visitors. That last part is important because if people do not see the value in going to your site, they just are not going to go to it.
- Identify your goals and objectives. This may seem like it is a simple enough idea but many companies are in such a hurry to get their page up that they do not think about their goals much when they approach their web design team. Your website is an important part of your online marketing strategy, of course, but it is also central to your brand management. All of your materials need to mirror the same message and compliment each other. Otherwise, you are working against yourself and that is never good for a company’s bottom line.
- Keep your web design simple. That is especially important for your navigation menus. You want to keep these as simple as possible. The problem many firms face is that they think they need to give people as many options and choices as they can. This is actually very counterproductive. Psychologists say that people can be given too many options and that leads to an inability to make a decision. Make your navigation simple and include only the most important elements that you want visitors to your site to focus on.
- Implement the 80/20 rule. You need to determine what is the 20% of your content that provides about 80% of the value from your website. What that 20% is comprised up is totally determined by what your company does and what your goals are. This is different for every industry. What is going to get you what you need? For some websites, the text is what brings people. If you run an online magazine, for instance.
- Make sure your site loads quickly. In web design, few things are more important than this. People will give your site about three seconds to load before they move on to a different site. They give you another three seconds to tell them what your site is all about before they abandon it. If they cannot load your site or figure out what you are trying to do with it, you can say goodbye to at least 40% of American consumers.
- Make sure your website design works on mobile devices. More and more people are not accessing the internet on computers and are using their phones, tablets and other mobile technology to get online. This means your page needs to look as amazing and work as well on these devices as it does on a traditional computer and on a television screen. If you cannot do that, you should not have a website. Seriously, it is that important.
- Be careful with your colors. People have a tendency to think good web design means you use a ton of different colors but all that really does it make your site look busy and confused. By the same token, you need to make use of “white space” and give people a chance to ingest your content. If the site is too busy, they will not get as much out of it as they can and they will not be back. Make your color scheme attractive and simple. Use color for impact and emphasis. This will make it less overwhelming and more user friendly.
Any company with a website, and most American businesses have them, knows how important they are to your branding. Nearly half (46%) of all consumers admit that they judge a company’s professionalism by the look of their website. If you make yours as memorable and valuable as possible, it can greatly enhance your business and improve your bottom line.
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