Website Design done Right
A website is one of the most important tools for business owners today, and there are a number of key factors that can ensure your site makes a lasting impact on all its visitors. Many of our previous blogs have focused on essential elements of web design and development, including search engine optimization (SEO), digital marketing, and keyword research. While all these aspects are important for overall web design, they are perhaps a little further down the line for businesses that have only recently gotten their site up and running. Impactful website design does not always need to rely on complex functionalities, and for those just beginning to establish their online presence, simple is almost always the way to go. Here are some key factors for impactful website design that can be applied by both true beginners and seasoned professionals.
All-Around Simplicity
Simplicity certainly takes on different forms depending on your business’ industry and level of technology proficiency, but seamless and smooth navigation, mobile capability, clear actionable elements, and accessible information are a few of the little things on websites that really go a long way. Business owners can often get caught up in packing their new sites with as many features as possible, such as call-to-action elements, automated scheduling widgets, and complicated animations. While these features are certainly nice to have later on in the website design process, they are difficult and potentially expensive to maintain if your company does not have anyone tech-savvy on standby to help if something goes wrong.
Instead of spending your business’ valuable time and money on unique, never-before-seen functionalities, focus your efforts on perfecting a customer experience that thrives on simplicity and access to what matters most. All-around simplicity on your site might be conveyed through menu items that are easily accessible from any page of your site. Though your menu may not be flashy, your visitors will breathe a sigh of relief when they discover how simple it is to use. The same feelings apply to mobile friendly websites, targeted call-to-action buttons, and navigation that doesn’t require your user to click through page after page before they find the information they are looking for.
Colour Palette and Aesthetics
If your business follows the route of simplicity for their overall website design and functionality, all that time saved can be spent on perfecting visual design through your site’s colour palette, graphics, and other aesthetic features. Humans are captivated by attractive and pleasing designs, so it is worth the effort to test out different styles on your site and get feedback before you make your final decisions. Whenever a user decides to visit your site, your design only has a few seconds to leave a good first impression, which ultimately has the potential to convert a casual visitor into an interested customer.
Like the previous point on simplicity, there is no need to go overboard with the visual design of your website either. Your business should be picking a colour palette that reflects the tone of your brand as much as it actually looks nice with your content. Colours function as key mood-setters on websites, and your choices should be strategically related to your business’ products, services, and values. It can be helpful to read up on colour psychology as you make your choices, and even use colour palette tools to ensure your hues aren’t clashing. Beyond your site’s colours, you should also give thought to contrast, font sizing, the type of fonts you are using, and the number of fonts used for different content. When it comes down to it, three tends to be the magic number when it comes to design: three fonts and three colours will set your website up for aesthetic success.
Engaging Writing
Written content can often be overlooked during the website building process since businesses tend to focus their energy more on site design and development. While you certainly want your site to look nice and function well, engaging writing also has an impact on your visitors and your search engine rankings. Strong writing boosts your online traffic two-fold: your visitors feel inclined to come back to your website in the future knowing you provide clear information, and you begin to build your business’ authority and trustworthiness on Google and other search engines.
However, finding someone to write content for your site can be challenging. Though your business can certainly allocate some responsibility to the marketing department, it is ideal to have a dedicated writer on staff to maintain this aspect of your website. With one person in charge of blog entries, weekly business updates, or client testimonials, the consistency in writing tone and style will further contribute to the cohesiveness already established by your site’s simple and visually pleasing design. Students actually happen to be some of the best people to get on your team for web writing, particularly those studying in the arts and humanities (languages, journalism, communications, creative writing, media studies, etc.). Students, both undergraduate and graduate, are eager to begin publishing their writing in preparation for their future careers, and your business can provide them this opportunity via an internship or part-time position. The Government of Canada even has a number of wage subsidies and other assistance programs to help businesses hire students if a lack of funds might be holding you back from hiring a dedicated writer for website content.
Time to Work on Your Website!
Simplicity, colour palettes, and engaging writing are only three of many factors that can make your website design more impactful and memorable, but they are among the more manageable and practical elements that your business can start working on right away. For more information on creating impactful website design, we invite you to check out some of our other blog posts, such as our step-by-step guide on how to choose a website design for your business and our list of reasons when it’s time to consider a website redesign. As always, the CodeMasters Inc. team is here to answer your questions related to any of our blog entries, and you are welcome to contact us for a consultation if your business might be ready to begin a new website project.