Thanks to the internet, you don’t have to hire a web design expert to develop an appealing website that will attract your prospective clients and put your business a step ahead of the competition.
By inserting keywords such as “web design tips,” you will get thousands of results, which you can implement to come up with your definition of a ‘perfect website.’
But before you depend on every piece of information you find online, you need to remember that the design of a website is one of the critical factors that determine the credibility of a company.
That said, you need to be careful with the strategies you choose to implement. Some can lead to the conversions and sales you desire, but there are some which can result in bounce rates and hurt your SEO efforts.
Here is some good news – several science-backed strategies can help you design the best site on the internet. Some of them include;
Keep the design simple
Look – adding too many graphics and creating a perfect blend of colors will not make your site outstanding.
According to a recent study by Google, a majority of internet users hate visual complexity. Therefore, the more complicated your site’s design is, the less likely it will be perceived as appealing by your prospects.
Therefore, endeavor to have a design that reduces destructions and focuses on top-quality content. Additionally, don’t spend a lot of time looking for out-of-this-world design layouts. Use standard design tropes, and you will thank yourself later.
To get an idea of how a simple design should look like, navigate different areas of the website and should be as intuitive as placing a bet in the Kentucky Derby winners on Twinspires.com. It seems simple, yet effective, right?
Don’t compromise site speed
According to research, site speed affects everything on a site, including user satisfaction, conversions, and bounce rates.
Remember, even if you create the most beautiful sites on the internet, you will achieve zero success if it’s slow since visitors will not stick around.
Look – even search engines hate sluggish sites. If you don’t invest in making your site fast across all devices, you will be rewarded with poor rankings, which will ultimately hurt your brand.
- Don’t include carousels, tabs, accordions, and sliders
Even though some sources of information will convince you that carousels are some of the best features to include in a website, multiple studies suggest they are far from being useful.
According to research done by a webmaster from Notre Dame University, his first slide on a Carousel garnered a whopping 90% of all clicks, but nobody paid attention to other slides.
Just like carousels, tabs and accordions are often ignored by internet users. This is because a majority of people only scan a page on a website as opposed to reading it all.
In case the information in these areas is crucial, and you want it read by your prospects, consider choosing to scroll over clicking.
This means that instead of tucking valuable content in ten short posts or pages, consider integrating it into one long page. Crazy, huh?
As crazy as it sounds, this is a strategy that has been regarded as highly effective by research. The unquestionable fact is that online users prefer scrolling over clicking!
- Use real people in pictures
Most times, you are forced to use any kind of image to enrich your content and direct attention. However, if you want to achieve maximum success, consider using real people in pictures.
Look – just like in real life, people love connecting with others on the web.
A case study by Basecamp reveals that their conversions were boosted by 102.5% when their landing page was changed from being text-based to having a picture of a person in the background.
However, to get the utmost success, ensure that you don’t use stock images. Give an impression of ‘reality’ by using pictures of your employees or clients.
- Using the right list order is paramount
Using lists in any order is of utmost importance in any site design. However, if you want to get the best out of them, make use of the serial position effect.
The serial position effect states that in every list, a person will remember the items at the beginning and at the end. Those in the middle are often not retained.
Here is the trick – when using a list to give information about your products or services, make sure the critical aspects come at the beginning and at the end.
Web design is one of the primary factors that affect the success of your site. Therefore, it is vital to rely on research for recommendations and insights, other than the general information you find on various resources. Use the above techniques, and you will achieve more traffic, leads, conversions, sales, and profits in no time.
