The reason it’s easy to give advice on how to get more traffic but difficult to give web design tips is because web design is influenced by so many factors. Even after having successfully completed more than 1000 web design projects, it can be tough to know what will work best in each individual circumstance.
This article provides 13 tips for web design that can help maximize the value of each website visitor. These tips, most of which are backed by research, can be used by beginner designers and advanced UX professionals, for small businesses and large enterprises.
Here is our advice, ideas and inspiration on how to design a website that is successful in converting visitors and is beautiful.
The Structural Layout of the Website
Websites are made up of two things: containers and content. Containers are made up of two things: structure and style. Let’s start with the structure of the website pages.
1. Leverage a visual hierarchy
Every page has a visual hierarchy. If you’re not familiar with that concept, here’s our definition:
The order in which visual elements are seen by the human eye is determined by their arrangement, size, color, and contrast.
The position, size, visuals, and contrast of elements on a web page guide visitors’ attention to the most important elements first.
If you combine different aspects, their effect is multiplied. For example, if you have a large video high up on a page, more people will see it than if you have low contrast text surrounded by images.
The way in which visual elements are arranged on a page can affect where a viewer’s eyes travel and what they focus on. This is referred to as visual hierarchy. Designers can use visual hierarchy to control the order in which a viewer processes information and guide them towards a desired goal, such as clicking a call-to-action button.
2. Use a descriptive, keyphrase-focused headline high on the homepage
The headline at the top of the homepage (and every page) should be descriptive so that visitors can answer their first question: “Am I in the right place?”
It’s also an opportunity to use a target keyphrase and indicate relevance. However, many marketers write something clever or vague instead. Keep it clear instead of clever.
It is important to have a catchy headline that accurately describes what the company does. It is also important to place this headline above the fold on the page.
Wait, the fold is still a thing?
There is a lowest point on every screen that visitors can see without scrolling. This is called the fold. Anything below this point is not visible unless the visitor scrolls down.
There is a lot of debate over whether or not the “fold” is important in web design. Some people argue that it doesn’t matter, while others argue that it’s still important.
Some designers say that the fold, or the area of a website that is visible without scrolling, is no longer relevant because there are so many different screen sizes.
However, the main point is that there is still a fold for each individual visit and an overall average fold for all visits. Tools such as Hotjar illustrate this by having a line in the scroll heatmap for desktop/laptop, mobile and tablet devices.
3. But don’t put all of your calls to action at the top
Although visitors may be spending more time on a website, this does not necessarily mean that they are ready to take action. A lot of persuasion happens further down the page.
Challenging the common belief that people only read what is at the top of the page, Chartbeat’s analysis of 25 million visits found that most engagement happens below the fold. This means that calls to action placed lower on the page are more likely to be effective than those placed at the top.
One thing to keep in mind about this study that is often cited is that Chartbeat is mostly used by news websites. These types of websites are very different from marketing websites. There is not much that is done “above the fold” on a news website. This means that the normal web design tips don’t apply.
Make sure to put calls to action in places where people are most likely to be interested.
4. Make it a tall page. Answer all your visitors’ questions.
The more pixels there are on a website, the more space there is for information. This means that visitors can find answers to their questions more easily, and can also find supporting evidence if they need it. If they can’t find an answer to an important question, they can just keep scrolling down the page until they find what they’re looking for. Once they’re satisfied, they’ll stop reading.
The most effective sales pages emulate sales conversations.
It would be rude to cut someone off during a sales meeting, right? That’s effectively what a short page does; it cuts off the flow of information.
A well-known study conducted by Crazy Egg found that many people have questions and concerns about the same topics. To address these issues, they created a webpage with a lot of information on the subject.
The page was five times longer and the conversion rate went up by 30%.
5. Show one thing at a time
The most popular website designs are clean, modern designs. Apple’s website is an example.
People who come to your site don’t want to be overwhelmed by a lot of information. They prefer a clean, uncluttered look. In other words, they don’t want too much going on visually.
In 2012, Google set out to discover what types of websites are seen as beautiful to visitors. They did this by studying the role of visual complexity and prototypicality in aesthetic judgments.
The researchers found that more complex designs are not seen as being as beautiful as simpler designs.
Multiple column layouts are becoming less popular because they are more complex and have more visual elements within the viewer’s field of vision.
Use only one or two elements as the focus at each scroll depth to avoid clutter.
6. Stick to standard layouts
One study found that “high prototypicality” (conforming to web design standards) is associated with perceived beauty. In other words, following web design standards typically leads to more attractive websites.
Some of the most beautiful sites are those that are both highly prototypical and low in visual complexity. In other words, they are both simple and clean.
It’s beneficial to make your brand stand out, but the layout is not the appropriate place to do so. Be different in the content you provide, but use a layout that is familiar to users.
Even though some cars are very different in their appearance, they all have certain features in common such as doors on the sides, wheels on the bottom, and headlights in front.
But what’s standard? According to our own research, these are the standard elements for a website:
The “standard” website with high prototypicality includes the following:
- Logo in the top left
- Horizontal navigation in the header
- Search bar at the top
- Social icons at the bottom
- Mobile responsive design
7. Make it about the user
One of the most important web design tips is to always keep your users in mind. Design your website with them in mind instead of making it about you. Every section of your website should show the value that your users are looking for.
You should design your website with your users in mind. Think about what kind of imagery and visuals they would want to see, and make sure the design is accessible and easy to use.
Make sure your site design is mobile friendly since most web traffic comes from mobile devices. Having a design that works well on mobile is important since it provides a good experience for users with smaller screens.
8. Make your website skimmable
Most website visitors will want to quickly scroll through your content. Make sure your information is easy to read in a skimmable format, as this will help keep visitors engaged. Use visuals wisely to further support this goal.
The design of a website should be such that it is easy to understand the story the website is trying to tell just by looking at it. This means that the images, colors, and other visual elements should all work together to create a clear picture.
People will lose interest in a website if it is full of too many images and multimedia elements that are confusing and difficult to interpret. To keep people engaged, use fewer images that are simple and easy to understand, and position them in a way that makes them easy to scan.
9. Use well-known conventions
The reason why most websites have a similar design is because it is effective.
How often do you encounter a website with navigation at the top, sidebars on the right, and footers at the bottom? Such a website is easy to use because it employs common conventions that users are already familiar with.
While it is beneficial to think outside the box for web design, it is also important to stick to conventions that are known to be effective. Adhering to conventions on your website will make visitors more comfortable and more likely to take the desired actions.
10. Consider color psychology
Different colors have different emotional meanings attached to them, this is called color psychology. Different colors can result in different human behavior, so it’s important to use the right colors for your brand and website.
A web designer should be considerate of color psychology when creating a website as it could play a big role in how visitors will perceive the site, brand, and take action.
There are different connotations to different colors. For example, blue often denotes relaxation while red is more exciting. Consider which color better suits your brand and will help users achieve the desired actions. This can be applied to every element of website design.
Color psychology should be taken into account when creating your brand’s visual identity. This is also important to consider when designing new landing pages or adding extra elements to your website, as it can influence how users interact with these features.
11. Apply information and visual hierarchy
It is important to create a visual hierarchy in your web design so that the most important elements are given priority and stand out to the user. This can be accomplished by using various techniques such as size, color, and spacing.
The most important information on a web page is typically placed at the top, with less important information appearing further down the page. This creates a visual hierarchy that makes it easier for users to find the information they are looking for.
Web designers need to understand which information is most important to their users and arrange the web page accordingly. The most important information should be eye-catching and stand out from the rest of the web page.
If the most important information is blended in with the rest of the content, visitors might not be able to find it. visitors might also be confused as to where to navigate or what actions to take.
It is important to focus on information and visual hierarchy when designing a website to make it look and perform better.
12. Make landing pages simple
Include only the most relevant images and elements, and use clear and concise text. While you might need to add a lot of information to your website, your landing pages should be clear and simple. Each landing page should perform a very specific function, and each page should try to get users to take only one action. This means web designers should keep the visual elements of landing pages simple. Include only the most relevant images and elements, and use clear, concise text.
Landing pages shouldn’t have too many visuals, colors, and images. They should be easy to understand so that users know what the page is about and what to do next.
When designing a landing page, keep the following in mind:
- White space: too much clutter will distract from the CTA(Call to Action)
- Design around copy: make sure the copy is clear and concise, and that it leads into the CTA
- CTAs: the whole page should be focused on the CTA, so make it clear and obvious
13. Incorporate social proof into your design
One of the most important ways to improve your user experience is by incorporating social proof into your design. Social proof plays a vital role in digital marketing, and you need to think about it when creating your website design. You can use social proof in a number of ways, but one of the most effective is to show user reviews and testimonials on your site.
It’s important for web designers to build trust and credibility with their visitors. One way to do this is to incorporate user reviews, trust badges, testimonials, user videos, and more into their website design.
Conclusion
When designing a website, many different elements must be taken into consideration. Tips like the ones above can make a big difference in the overall look of your site.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with all these ideas, you can hire professional web designers to help you get started.
Related posts:
