{"id":8216,"date":"2020-11-13T08:00:51","date_gmt":"2020-11-13T00:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crazydomains.com\/learn\/?p=8203"},"modified":"2022-02-17T19:29:37","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T11:29:37","slug":"web-design-principles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazydomains.com.au\/learn\/web-design-principles\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Design Essentials Your Website Needs to Have"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your website is the face of your business. It\u2019s the first thing your potential customers see before visiting your store or even contacting you. It\u2019s what drives conversion, encourages engagement, and grows your audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, you need to pay particular care to how your website looks like.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Gogoro<\/p>\n

Gogoro<\/span><\/i><\/a> is the perfect example of a small business website.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Excellent websites focus on a three-element pyramid of design: <\/span>usability<\/b>, <\/span>utility<\/b>, and an <\/span>organised visual layout<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To achieve that, here are some principles you need to apply:<\/span><\/p>\n

Simplicity<\/h3>\n

\"Simplicity\"<\/p>\n

The <\/span><\/i>4 Rivers Smokehouse<\/span><\/i><\/a> site shows exactly what they offer.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Think about the most popular sites on the internet. The best example is Google. The world\u2019s most visited website contains just a search box in the middle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sure, there\u2019s the option to change locale or the I\u2019m Feeling Lucky button. But other than that, the homepage remains simple and distraction-free.<\/span><\/p>\n

Popular websites follow the same design principle. They focus on functionality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Keep your website clean and simple. Users should easily access the information they need. Don’t make them work hard to find it.<\/span><\/p>\n

READ: 15 Website Design Ideas to Inspire Your Creative Brief<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Consistency<\/h3>\n

\"Consistency\u00a0\"<\/p>\n

General Assembly\u2019s<\/span><\/i><\/a> website is consistent across fonts, themes, and style.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As users move from page to page, there needs to be clear consistency in design. Headings, fonts, sizes, elements, and buttons should all look the same.<\/span><\/p>\n

Choose all these things in advance. Create a design guide before you even start building your website<\/a>. Then, use preview functions to see how texts and buttons appear onscreen.<\/span><\/p>\n

After you’ve found the right fit, use cascading style sheets (CSS) to store your design choices. Then, you\u2019ll have everything you need as you expand your site.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mobile Compatibility<\/h3>\n

\"Mobile<\/p>\n

Total web traffic is now over <\/span>50% mobile<\/span><\/a>. More people than ever use smartphones and tablets to access the internet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And this number is only increasing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your site needs to be compatible across screen sizes. Otherwise, you\u2019ll lose customers <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>get hit with an SEO penalty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scan your site to make sure it\u2019s mobile-friendly. You may need to tweak some elements.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nowadays, many people design mobile-focused sites from the start. For businesses developing their first website, this is a great approach. It’s often easier to adjust a mobile site to desktop than the other way around.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organisation<\/h3>\n

\"Organisation\"<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to navigate the <\/span><\/i>Annex Coworking<\/span><\/i><\/a> website.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Visitors spend more time on sites that are better organised. The more time they spend on your site, the more likely you are to convert them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use the three-click rule for your site. All pages and information should be available within three clicks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Begin with a simple menu that allows users to find main pages. This menu should only contain a maximum of five items, ideally: Home, About, Services, Blog, and Contact.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, create internal links to further increase navigability. You\u2019ll receive an SEO boost when you do this as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

Engagement and Conversions<\/h3>\n

\"Engagement<\/p>\n

NoExam<\/span><\/i><\/a> tests CTAs to find which ones work the best.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The purpose of your website is to engage customers. You want them to engage with your content and drive conversions.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is doubly true for ecommerce businesses<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each of your web pages should encourage either of these behaviours. Don\u2019t go overboard and stick \u201cbuy now\u201d buttons everywhere. Create different opportunities for your customers on each page.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, write a blog post that talks about your industry. At the bottom of the blog, you can use a CTA (call to action) like \u201cLearn more about our services.\u201d This allows users to learn more about your company and spend more time on your site.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a bonus, this internal link is great for organisation. Sprinkle CTAs around your site in smart locations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Readability<\/h3>\n

\"Readability\"<\/p>\n

DuctTape Marketing<\/span><\/i><\/a> uses their blogs and testimonials to share ideas.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

You might have the best design in the world, but the text is still king.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The text provides the information your users need to know. Search engines know this and will rank your site accordingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, your website text should be readable and consistent throughout the site.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a few ways to do that:<\/span><\/p>\n