09/10/2022
5 Pro Web Design Tips
As a businessperson and web designer, one of the things I must consider when building a site is the public (audience), and the industry my client is catering to.
Most people immediately think of color as the most important thing to look for - this is an incomplete answer and may lead to problems I often see on some websites.
Here are some of the most important factors experienced web designers consider when working on a project.
1. Easy Navigation
You would be amazed how difficult some sites are to navigate, that is, to find the things the visitors want, not what you want them to see.
Many visitors will leave your site after a couple of attempts or, sometimes, just after a few clicks.
Make it easy for anyone to navigate your pages. Think as a user, not as a businessperson or a developer.
Easy-to-follow menus and pages with links to other internal pages are simple ways you should consider. Stay away from complexity... Always.
2. Avoid Complex Color Schemes
Your website’s color combination should match or combine well with your logo color, office spaces, in short, your message. Avoid color noise and saturation.
As for background and text colors, there are only 2 real alternatives, dark background with white fonts or the inverse, clear background, and black text. Avoid light grays for either of these.
"Call to Action" elements can use some variation of the main theme to stand out but be mindful and use the correct hue.
3. Consistent Typography
A website should be like a book in terms of font or typography consistency, that is, text size and spacing, formatting, and color.
Yes, there is space for manuscript fonts when used properly, but the main point should always be: easy to read by any user, of any age, under different types of light, and consistent with point #2 above.
4. Using Photos, The Right Way
Photos on a website are important. Once more we come back to the communication point of view. Way too many times stock photos are used to fill in gaps that are a) not real, and b) the wrong match either by color scheme and/or message.
Have you visited a website's "contact us" page where they have a model-like girl answering the phone? You can tell this is a stock photo in a second or two. The photo is not real. If you're going to use a person to show something, make sure you're using your own staff - your visitors can tell the difference and respect you more when using real people to convey the message.
There's a caveat though, always use high-quality photos.
5. Responsive Design Is Non-Negotiable
At this stage of the online game, it should be very clear any web page, application, or functionality must be able to work perfectly fine on computers and mobile devices alike.
If your website does not pass the mobile text, I highly recommend you resolve this as a top priority in your shortlist. This holds importance before any SEO or content matter - nowadays this is just vital.
Bonus Tip: Fast-Loading Pages
How patient a new customer is when waiting for your website to load? Not much, we would easily agree.
There are ways to ensure pages load quickly and these must be considered and tested before launching. Make sure you check for this.
Along with responsive websites, fast-loading pages are perhaps 2 of the 3 major points Google has been gearing towards. The other points are important design and user-related.
Issues with a bad or slow website? We can help! Call or text us at (323) 535-2159 and let’s talk. You can also visit us at www.onlinesurvival.net
