What makes a good web site

6 Essential Ingredients for a Great Website Design

Your website is the online representative of your business and brand. With the millions of people using the internet to access information, you cannot afford to neglect the importance of a good website design.

1.      Polished logo

Your logo is the permanent image that your audiences will use to identify your business. You should get a professionally designed logo that is located prominently on your website. You should use a high-resolution image of the logo in each web page. You can also add a link to your home page on your logo to help visitors get back to the home page for easy navigation.

2.      Avoid clutter

The best performing websites today are the ones without clutter, good use of white space and concise messages. When confronted with too many options, the brain is unable to process information properly and this is why visitors often navigate away from website that are cluttered with too much information and ads. Do not have too much visual clutter like graphics and animations to draw the visitor’s attention away from your call to action.

3.      Use color

The colors you use on your site enhance your brand imagery and also create a great user experience. Neutral color palettes are great for a modern and elegant appearance, especially for corporate websites. Your color palette should complement your logo and your other online marketing materials. Choosing the right layout of colors should help guide visitors to the most important parts of your website.

4.      Good quality photography

There is no doubt that you have to invest in professional photography for your website. Internet users do not like generic photos as it gives a generic impression of your company. It can also misguide the visitor about the quality of the products displayed in the poor quality picture. You can opt to purchase professional stock photos that provide an emotional connection with the written content.

5.      Every page is a landing page

Do not assume that all your visitors will land on your home page first. You should design every page as a landing page. Include key information in all the pages in your website instead of the home page only.

6.      Responsive website design

Cross browser and device compatibility is necessary nowadays when people are accessing the internet through laptops, desktop computers, tablets and smart phones among others. There are so many browser and operating system options. You should ensure that your website works well regardless of the device or browser it is opened with. A great user experience leads to more time spent on your website and eventually a high conversion rate.

More to come!