Web Design is a beautiful artform. It’s also a powerful sales tool. It’s no wonder why many designers struggle to wear both the analytical and artistic hats while working this creative task. While many specialize in the artistic approach appealing to our senses, others will wow you with their advanced technical abilities and functionality. It’s crucial to consider all sides of the spectrum, while also developing an easy to use, functional, and informative site. So let’s explore some things to consider for both the right & left brained developers out there.
Do make yourself easy to reach. Have your contact information easy to find and read. It should be located on your homepage, and possibly on other pages as well. The whole purpose of most websites is to be found by potential customers… don’t make them look too hard.
Don’t hide your contact form, or make it too complicated. If you are gathering information, you are getting new leads. Keep the forms easy to reach and quick to fill out. Your potential customers don’t want to spend too much time on these critical little creatures, so just gather three or four pieces of information from them: Name, Email, Phone, & a Comment should do.
Do be thoughtful in your choices with colors and fonts. You don’t want a big distracting mix of either. Keeping it to 2 or 3 colors and no more than 2 fonts is a good rule of thumb. Any more begins to look messy and mismatched. This is where an eye for style can be quite helpful.
Don’t get messy. Your website should be simple to read, clean to look at, and easy to navigate. Less is certainly more when it comes to adding visual distractions, colors, gifs, and photos. Don’t fear the whitespace. Everything must have a purpose and a place. Don’t add any unnecessary or unuseful information or items.
Do create a functional and easy to use navigation bar. It’s important that potential customers can find their way around your website quickly and easily, without getting directed away from your Call to Action. Each page should have an escape route back to the home page as well.
Don’t add unnecessary content, links, videos, or displays. Too many words can clutter up your website, and the visual distractions will take the user to places that often do not benefit the purpose of the site. Keep it simple, and get to the point.
Do add all social networks links to your page. Stay active on your blog, and share it with all those links! You want to keep your audience engaged and active on your website. Always having goals of generating new traffic is key.
Don’t let it sit. Keep fresh content coming, and stay active on blogs, events, and promotions. The more you update your website, the more search engines will recognize it, and keep sending new traffic your way. Adding new content on a regular and frequent basis should be a priority.
Do take the time to make your website mobile friendly. While most consumers are looking at a device while shopping and navigating the world wide web. It would be a shame to have them click away from your non-mobile friendly site, and miss out on your great business!
Don’t skimp on your testing. Be sure all links and buttons are functioning, your contact forms are tip top, and your site looks good on any size screen. From the smallest smartphone to the largest big screen, your website should be looked at from every angle before it’s launched.
Do add business reviews to your site. The modern shopper is looking online for reviews before making the decision to purchase. If you’ve got some happy customers to tote on your website, you’ll become more appealing to new customers as well.
Don’t forget to ask for reviews! This adds a lot in terms of getting trust from new potential customers. The power of online referrals is almost as good as a referral from a friend in the eyes of new prospects. Add new and recent reviews at every opportunity.
Do it right the first time. Hire a professional to get the best look and results out of your website. At Anchor Websites, we are experts in both creative design and high functionality. Your website’s abilities can make or break a sale in some cases, and you don’t want a poorly developed page to have a negative effect on your business.
Don’t underestimate the power your website has on potential business. In many cases your website will be the first point of reach for a potential customer to you. If your website is hard to navigate, or just unappealing to look at, this represents your business quite bad when it comes to first impressions.
Of course we could go on all day when it comes to Do’s and Don’ts of web design. The list above is of some basic ideas to be in the forefront of any web designer’s mind. At Anchor Websites we strive to create beautiful works of art, that are appealing to visit, stay, and shop a while. All of our websites are modern and mobile friendly, and run through our rigorous testing standards. Our eye on style cannot be matched, and our creative functionality is an audience pleaser. Contact Anchor Websites for a free estimate on your new web design project today! 715-600-1950 https://anchorwebsites.com/
Meet the Author
Laura is an expert on style, technology and getting things done. With her background as a Financial Advisor and mother of 4, she has both smarts and a practical sense that brings value to everything she touches. Her most recent adventure is as an entrepreneur at Anchor Websites. Call her today to see if Anchor Websites should create your next website! 715-600-1950 or laura@anchorwebsites.com
