An appealing web design is the be-all and end-all of a successful website these days. Too much information is overwhelming, too little information signals insufficient research. A messy web design looks chaotic and disorganised, a web design that is too neat looks boring and dull.
You are just about to start a business and want to create a website for it, but don't know what web design is all about or what to look out for? We have put together 26 helpful web design tips to help you design your website.
... this is one of the tips you should remember for your entire web design! Moving elements, illustrations and unique designs are all well and good, but please don't overdo it. Of course you can add little extras to your site and there is always more content that should not be missing from a website. But in order to make it as clear and attractive as possible for your visitors, web designers should think about
think.
This may just be a personal tip, but it's best to use WordPress for web design - especially if you're just starting out. The free content management system WordPress helps you to build your site according to your wishes and ideas. WordPress also offers you a range of templates, which makes web design easier. Furthermore, you can quickly and easily add content to your website with the help of WordPress.
When designing your website, you should think about whether it will still "work" in a few years. It is best to keep an eye on trends that have been popular for a long time or are used by many people. A timeless web design allows you not to completely redesign your website every year.
Responsive web design means that the web design you create is just as usable on a smartphone or tablet as it is on desktops. You need to make sure that this is the case, as the majority of internet users access websites on their mobile phones rather than on their computers. Responsive web design is also an important ranking factor for Google and is crucial for online marketing.
This tip can actually be applied to any category. Always make sure that the web design fits your business - whether that's the website design, the typography, the colours or the layout. Conventional businesses, for example, should not go for a retro design or experimental layouts. Always match your decision with the image of your company.
A fast loading speed is becoming more and more important in web design, as users now often take it as a reason to leave a page if it loads too slowly. This is especially important for the mobile version of your website. If you use WordPress to develop your website, you can easily optimise the loading speed.
If you're looking for a new restaurant to try or a hotel to stay in on holiday, the first thing you look at is customer reviews and testimonials. It's the same with your site.
Regardless of whether you offer services or products on your website, new visitors like to look at the reviews of other users first. That's why it's a good idea to include them on your website.
Nowadays, it is a must that your website and especially your content is search engine optimised if you want to generate more traffic. Familiarise yourself with the ranking factors of search engines like Google and optimise your site accordingly. Search engine optimisation is an important part of search engine marketing.
In terms of content, web designers should put the most important thing that users are likely to be looking for at the top of the article or page. This is the part that most users are most likely to read. Even if they leave your page immediately afterwards, there is a very high probability that they will still have remembered the most important statements.
Writing articles on certain topics is useful, but it is better not to cram your pages with body text. In your web design, make sure that you include enough paragraphs, use subheadings and make use of eye-catchers (see: "Using eye-catchers").
Keyword research is one of the most important parts of search engine optimisation. Include useful keywords in your content that users might search for on this topic. In addition, always have a main keyword around which the topic of the article revolves.
This tip may seem obvious, but we'll mention it briefly anyway: Before publishing any content, please check the spelling, grammar and of course the accuracy of your content!
Appealing screen design means in particular that it looks good to the eye. Since web design plays a major role for many visitors, this must look accordingly. This also includes a certain professionalism. If users don't see your site as professional, they can't build trust and they won't benefit from your services.
Pure continuous text is boring and tiring to read in the long run. Therefore, include eye-catchers in your content. These can be, for example, pictures, quotes, tables, lists, videos, pro/con lists, interesting links, infoboxes, current statistics, checklists or tips and recommendations.
"Call to action" means "request for action". For your website, this means asking your visitors to click on a button. The button can then lead to anything. Examples would be: Share the page or content on social media, read more content on this topic, donate, sign up for the newsletter, buy a product, or download certain documents.
Make sure that potential customers know exactly how they can reach you or your team. Therefore, highlight contact details, such as the email address and phone number, and make them clickable. This should open either the mail app or the phone app, as appropriate.
Elements such as call-to-action buttons or important content should be highlighted by web designers using either bold or eye-catching colours so that these elements are particularly memorable to users.
An interactive web design is especially beneficial because users spend more time on these pages and they also leave a better impression. Visitors must be offered something so that they do not lose interest and attention. Examples of an interactive web design are slideshows, animations, comment fields or surveys.
Adding images and videos to websites is always a very good idea. They arouse a certain emotionality in users and videos, such as explainer videos, clarify your content even better. However, when choosing your images and videos, please make sure that they are of high quality.
It is best to use images you have taken yourself or (if necessary) to use stock photos. Only include images in your web design that are of good quality, professional and do not look posed.
If visitors can't find their way around your site or if it is complicated to use, they will quickly leave. It is therefore essential that you make it as simple and user-friendly as possible.
Of course, simple and clear operation also includes a meaningful navigation on your page. Visitors should always be able to find exactly what they are looking for in the shortest possible time. You can either use the standard menu bar at the top or the hamburger menu. With the hamburger menu, the menu bar is completely hidden and can only be accessed via the burger icon.
As already mentioned at the beginning, you should adjust all your content and also your web design to your company. Of course, this also applies to your target group. Try to find out how old the majority of your target group is, what their level of education is, whether your site should only be published in German or also in other languages, etc.. Then adapt your website accordingly.
Microinteractions are part of interactive web design. These are, for example, pulling down a page to reload it, adding items to the shopping cart or taking part in surveys or quizzes. Microinteractions are intended to signal to users that they have taken part in an interaction on the page.
Typography is an important topic in web design. Too many different or very fancy fonts are confusing and overwhelming for visitors. Find appealing fonts (preferably no more than two) and above all, make sure that the fonts you choose are easy for everyone to read.
It's not just the font that can make your content difficult to read. Choosing a font size that is too small can also make it difficult for users to read your text. Elements such as headings and signatures should also have a different font size than the "normal" text.
Also keep in mind that a smartphone or tablet has a smaller screen than a desktop.
In addition to the right font and size, be careful not to use too many colours on your website. Here you can orientate yourself on 2-3 colours (apart from white). At this point, it is best to refer to the logo of your company and then use these colours on your website. Infoboxes or quotes can be coloured in a different, eye-catching colour as an eye-catcher.
When choosing colours, you need to create contrasts, as people with limited vision or users who are exposed to different lighting conditions may have difficulty reading. For this reason, the contrast between background and text colour is extremely important.
You can find more information on this topic here: Web design
Developing a website is not always easy and there are many things you have to pay attention to in web design. The most important thing is always: the design and your content must fit your company and your target group, so that you as a company appear serious and trustworthy. Once you have gained the interest and trust of your visitors, this is a significant step towards better marketing.
Of course, we hope that these web design tips were helpful for you and that they will help you to build your website. If you have further questions or need more tips on web design, please contact us for a free initial consultation or send us an email.
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