Web Design Tips from the Experts

Group of Diverse People Discussing About Web Design

Design Tips for Better Web Usability

As technology becomes more integrated with our lives, consumers become less patient. With shorter attention spans it is now more important than ever for businesses to grab the attention of users quickly. A well-designed home page can draw traffic, keep readers on the page, showcase goods or services, entice readers further into the site and convert readers to buyers. The font, color, images and words work together to convey your first impression to potential clients.

Whether the goal of your website is to convert new clients, build your brand, or sell a product, every website owner should take time to periodically review and update their face to the online world.

If you are creating a new website or updating an existing one, consider these design principles:

Be consistent – The colors, font choice and tone should be consistent throughout all pages of your website. Your branding should be clear and duplicated on other company-related websites, like social media platforms.

Pay attention to what’s above the fold – The most important information should be displayed above the fold. If your goal is to increase conversions consider adding a contact form to the home page and place the phone number in the top right-hand corner of the header.

Phone number format – It may seem like a minor detail, but the way you display your phone number can impact on the way Google reads and ranks your website in search. The current best standard is to avoid periods. Use (XXX) XXX-XXXX or XXX-XXX-XXXX for the best search engine optimization results.

Speed matters – The speed of your website is arguably the most important factor in conversion. Few visitors are willing to wait for a website to load. The website should fully load in two seconds.

Optimize your content for Google – Every page should have a title tag and meta description for two reasons: (1) usability and (2) search engine rankings. Not sure what title tags or meta descriptions are? Learn how to write a title tag and review basic SEO optimization recommendations.

Site Map – Create a site map that makes sense to the people coming to your site looking for information. Your site architecture should make it easy to find information, navigate to other parts of the website and contact the company.

Avoid creating information that will quickly be outdated – If you know you are not going to be continually updating your website, make an effort to create evergreen content. Evergreen content is generally always relevant. By avoiding dates, prices, and words like “recently” and “soon” your content will always appear recent and relevant, even if you wrote it years ago.

Trends in internet marketing are constantly changing as technology presents designers and developers with new methods of organizing information. Despite the evolving industry, the tips above will help you maintain an effective, timeless website.