There are no secret techniques to design a quality website. After all, every website’s purpose differs, as does the designer.
However, there are a few standard elements that every good web design agency will keep in mind when creating a website. Below, we will explore each of these website design elements in detail so that you can make your site the best it can be.
The best website design elements might feel like common sense on paper, but they’re a little more complicated in practice. They include but are not limited to unique content, a strong visual hierarchy throughout each page, clear navigation, responsive elements for different screen sizes, and decent page load speeds.
Let’s take a closer look at how each of these elements play a role in a successful website design.
Content in a website design can be anything that engages a viewer. Most commonly, this is text and imagery. A good website will have text written uniquely to its brand and purpose, along with imagery that fits your brand.
Using a brand’s voice consistently throughout the site is important to maintain a viewer’s trust, and keeping the content clear and meaningful will make viewers interested in learning more or purchasing a product. Additionally, mastering headings and the hierarchy of text is equally as important when it comes nailing the visual design.
Imagery is used in much the same way. Many web design agencies use stock images to bolster a site’s image selection, which is great, as long as the photos or designs fit the site’s overall theme. Using custom photography or illustrations is another great way to turn a good website design into a great one.
Unique content is important, but it’s not more important than having a strong visual hierarchy. This is an important aspect of every type of design, including website design. With scale, color contrast, and visual balance, you can guide a viewer’s eye to the important, actionable section of a site.
What this means is that by using basic design principles, a website design agency can expertly direct users without said users having to put forth extra effort. Knowing when and where to put your focus makes a huge difference in keeping users on your site. (Need a website designer near me? Contact BrandCraft today.)
There are quite a few things that drastically increase a user’s bounce rate, and a confusing navigation is one of the top runners. If a user has no clear direction to find anything on a website, they won’t want to put extra effort into puzzling it out and may look elsewhere.
Having a clear navigation is important for every website design. Only about half of users utilize standard navigation structures to find the information that drove them to a site.. The clearer and more concise the navigation, the easier it will be on users, which will lead to more conversions and a lower bounce rate.
It’s no surprise that people view websites on their mobile devices more than on a computer or desktop, given the availability of smartphones and tablets. Having a responsive website that looks and functions well across multiple screen sizes is now more important than ever. A good website design prioritizes the elements and content being shown to users. As well as optimizes a site for mobile devices. Remember that a full desktop website might not look right on a mobile device. Some elements are not necessary and will impede on a user’s experience. Mobile-friendly designs are about more than rearranging content to fit a different screen size. It’s giving the important calls-to-action more emphasis and cutting back on unnecessary design elements and content.
Three seconds might not sound like a long time to wait, but it makes a major difference in keeping an audience’s attention and losing them completely. Even a two-second wait increases the risk of a large bounce rate, especially on mobile sites.
Page load speed has always been important. A good website will have a one to two second page load speed. With such a short time to make an impression, it’s vital that the most important elements load first.
Leaving a bad impression with a slow-loading site can ensure that a user does not return. (A good tool to check your loading speeds is Google’s PageSpeed Insights. Google itself aims for a half-second load time.)
While these are not the only features of a great website, they are important to check off during the design process. In the end, a website is for the customer. It must cater to and be easy for them to navigate. Making sure the website fits a wide variety of screen sizes (with fast loading times) is also essential in every website design.
Need a local website design company that can create a next-level website for your company? BrandCraft’s talented designers would love to speak with you. Contact our agency today for a free consultation.
