A strong online presence for your business or brand depends on effective web design. More traffic, greater engagement, and ultimately more conversions can all be achieved with a well-designed website. When you know what to do and what not to do when designing a website, it becomes much easier.
We've compiled a list of some web design do’s and don'ts that you should keep in mind while designing a website to help you out.
Do’s
1. Plan user experience
Keep in mind who you are designing for. Think about their initial reaction when they visit your website. A user-friendly website will keep visitors interested for longer, boosting the chances of conversion and return visits. High bounce rates on a website indicate that visitors are leaving it rapidly without taking any further action. Identify the needs, goals, and pain points of your target audience by conducting user research. Design your website in a way that users will find it useful, enjoyable, and easy to navigate.
2. Keep it simple and clear
Users can more easily browse a website, discover the information they need more quickly, and execute tasks more efficiently with the help of a simple and clear website. A minimalist design is preferred by many visitors because it allows them to complete multiple tasks with a simple UI and fewer steps. It also makes it easier for users to focus on and navigate your website. Clutter makes it difficult for users to visit and use your website, especially if the page contains too many unnecessary elements. Excessive elements and features can also cause page load times to slow down.
3. Make it attractive
A visually appealing website attracts visitors' attention, encourages them to explore the site further, and creates a positive experience that they will remember. Attractive design elements, vibrant colors, high-quality images, and engaging typography can help to draw visitors' attention to specific areas of the site. Also, a professionally designed website reflects your uniqueness and professionalism.
4. Choose the right color and font
Every color elicits a unique set of feelings and emotions. A design's atmosphere, perception, and overall impact can all be influenced by color. Choose a color that accurately reflects the story of your brand. Make sure your text is simple to scan and use a typeface that is clear and readable. Include bullet points, headings, and subheadings. Divide large texts into smaller chunks. Use simple words and avoid complex words.
5. Keep it consistent
All of the pages on your website should have the same overall layout and style. Each page should have a consistent layout and design. Consistency of navigation, color schemes, typography, and style of writing can have a positive impact on usability and UXUsers can navigate between pages quickly with the help of consistent menus and buttons. Moreover, consistent color schemes and font support visual hierarchy and enhance readability.
6. Provide simple navigation
To ensure that visitors can find what they're searching for, a website's navigation must be user-friendly. Create your navigation in a way that takes the fewest amount of clicks to take people where they want to go. Follow the three-click rule. There shouldn't be more than three clicks between your visitors and the content they're looking for. Use your menu navigation for essential links only. Customers will understand menu items more easily if you use language they are familiar with. There should be links to your website's navigation in the footer. In the footer, visitors frequently look for navigational links and contact information.
7. Minimize the number of choices
Users may feel overwhelmed and struggle to decide when presented with too many options. To increase the probability of engagement, it is preferable to minimize the choices. Users can concentrate their attention and make decisions more quickly and simply with its help.
8. Make it responsive
Responsive websites are prioritized by Google and other search engines. A consistent and smooth user experience across all devices is made possible with responsive design. This means that your website needs to be simple to read and navigate and appear good on all screens. Ensure that your site looks and performs properly on a range of devices and screen sizes. Test usability, functionality, and performance across a variety of devices, including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones to ensure a seamless user experience.
Don'ts
9. Don’t make users wait
Loading times have a big effect on the user experience. Customers will switch to other websites if yours loads slowly. Your website's bounce rate may rise as a result, which can lower your rating on search engines.
10. Don’t use too many colors and fonts
If you use too many colors, it's like trying to express a million feelings and messages at once, and someone viewing your design can become confused. It's always best to limit the color palette to a small number of colors.
Users expect a clear and straightforward message when visiting your website. Using too many fonts can make your website look cluttered and unprofessional and can confuse and confuse users. Your website's load time may also be slowed down by it.
11. Don't use poor-quality visuals
The first thing visitors will notice about your website is its visual appearance. Poor-quality visuals give a poor first impression and make your website look unprofessional.
12. Don't use irrelevant content
Users expect to find relevant content related to their search query when they visit your website. Irrelevant content confuses users and reduces conversions and click-through rates.
13. Don't use pop-ups excessively
Many websites display a window requesting a subscription as soon as you enter the page. This is one of the most disappointing aspects for a visitor. Time your pop-ups. Before you ask visitors to do something, you must clearly show how you can provide value.
14. Don’t autoplay video or audio
When your clients visit your website, one of the most annoying things is when videos start playing automatically. Do not include auto-playing video and audio on your website. Only use them when absolutely necessary.
15. Don't forget about user experience
Finally, keep the user in mind when designing your website. Make sure your website is visually appealing, easy to use, and provides a positive user experience. Make sure your website is visually appealing, easy to use, and provides a positive user experience. Collect user feedback and use it to improve the design and functionality of your site. Encourage visitors to give feedback via surveys or contact forms.
Ending remarks
When designing a website, you should consider what is best for users. If not, consumers will leave your website. So design a website that delights users, improves their experience, and boosts conversion rates.
Good luck!