Creating a place for your brand to live on the web is a huge step for your business in the digital age we’re living in. There’s more to a website than just a URL, though. If you’re starting to design a new website or are looking to revamp your current one, you’ve come to the right place.
Before you get caught up in the hunt for the perfect color scheme or the perfect-amount-of-funny employee bios, here are a few tips from our lead web designer:
1. DEFINE THE GOAL
The most important first step in a website build is defining the goal. Having your own site is exciting and empowering, yes, but the mere existence of a website doesn’t necessarily accomplish anything. You need to nail down an objective so you can establish the right layout and also measure success.
Do you want people to contact you?
Do you want to establish your credibility as a business?
Do you want to convey information to potential customers?
It might be all three, but you have to prioritize your goals. Why? Because of tip #2.
2. GUIDE THE USER
When you create a website, you are taking on the role of guide for the user. In a sense, you have to show them what they’re looking for. If you don’t have an end destination in mind, they’ll scroll aimlessly, maybe click around for a bit, then be on their way. A good designer will orient the design of the website around your goals, nudging them towards where you want them to end up and what actions you want them to take. Whether that’s creating an intuitive path toward a contact form, gallery, or services page, there’s a delicate balance of guiding users without pushing them around and letting them stay in charge. You’ve gotta help them make the decisions and moves you’re looking for.
How do you do that? Check out tip #3.
3. USE HIERARCHY TO CONVEY IMPORTANCE
Text placement matters. Font size matters. They’re key tools to use in communicating with and guiding the user. For example, bigger and brighter things are saying, “look at me, I’m important.” Smaller things say “don’t worry about me, but I’m here if you’re curious.” If there are points or titles you want to emphasize, make them bigger! Make them brighter! But don’t overdo it- simplicity is also key. If there’s a barrage of big, bold text, it may be hard for the user to distinguish what’s important. Aim for less words and more images. Leave space for the hierarchy to be clear and do it’s work directing toward what’s important.
Now you’re that much closer to a good lookin’ website that converts! Go forth and design.
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