There are more than 1.5 billion websites on the internet. So as a small business owner, it’s imperative that your website stands out from the crowd.
But this can be easier said than done, especially if you’re not a web designer by profession. The good news, though, is that there are some surefire design tips that you can follow.
Wondering what makes a great website? Follow these 6 tips for success.
Check them out below!
1. Identify a Clear Purpose
Like anything in life, your website needs to have a clear purpose in order to be successful. So before you start thinking about layout, color, or fonts, first think about the marketing strategy behind your site.
Begin with the end in mind. Take a second and think about the ultimate goal of your website.
Is it to gather leads for your sales team? Sell products? Gather email addresses or other contact information?
Perhaps your site is simply for entertainment purposes. No matter the purpose, it’s crucial that you identify it.
Once you’ve decided the overarching goal, now think about each page individually. Your home page, for example, should provide general information and introductions to your other pages.
Your pricing page should present clear and understandable pricing information. It should also lead your visitors to use a checkout form or to request a demo with your sales team.
So before you design any webpage, ask yourself what the purpose is. Once this in place, everything will run more smoothly.
2. Make Your Site Mobile Friendly
Another one of the most important web design tips is to make your website mobile friendly. This means that it should work well on every single screen size.
Whether your visitors are coming on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, you want your site to look great and function properly.
How come?
It’s simple. If your site doesn’t look good on every screen, people will leave. You’ll lose traffic which will, in turn, result in lost sales.
The problem here is that if you’re not a web developer, it can be really daunting to make this happen. But one easy solution is to use a responsive builder.
A responsive builder is a tool that allows your site to automatically resize to any screen size. In other words, you only have to make one site and the rest is taken care of for you.
Want help from web design professionals? LFORM Web Design can do just that.
3. Make Your Forms Easy to Use
No matter the goal of your site, you probably have forms that you want your customers to fill out.
Here are just a few examples:
- A request a call form to schedule a call with the sales team
- A sales form that leads to a checkout page
- A subscription form to register for your email list
- A contact form to get help with a problem
And these are just a few examples!
What these all have in common, though, is that you want them to be as easy as possible to fill out. The last thing you need is for people to abandon your forms because they are too complicated.
To avoid form abandonment, think about this: what information is absolutely necessary to collect?
For example, a request a call form really only needs two fields: a name and phone number. But, for some business owners, it might be nice to also gather email addresses. This way, you could add these prospects to your email list.
However, it’s not necessary. So a workaround is to make the name and phone number fields mandatory and make the email field optional.
That way you get what you need without making your form too long.
4. What Makes a Great Website as Well? Clear Navigation
Have you ever been browsing a website when all of the sudden you got totally lost? If your site has confusing navigation, this can happen to your visitors.
And when this happens, people leave, many times not ever coming back.
To avoid this problem, keep your navigation clear. On every single page, have a consistent top menu with the pages listed in the same order. This will ensure that your users can always find their way around.
Also, have your logo in the top left corner and make it link to your homepage. This is customary across the internet and will help your visitors find their way as well.
Another tip is to avoid menus that are super long. Instead, utilize sub-menus with drop down options. This will keep things organized.
5. Avoid Font Issues
Your site is supposed to provide information to people. But if your fonts are hard to read, this purpose is not being achieved.
It can be tempting to pick a font that’s beautiful but hard to decipher. Cursive or other script fonts often fall into this category. Many times they look great but are impossible to read, especially on mobile screens.
Another common font issue is using too many fonts. The rule of thumb you should always follow is to limit yourself to three fonts at the most throughout your entire site.
6. Don’t Use Generic Stock Photos
When people hear stock photography, they often think of cheesy, smiley, or posed photos that don’t look natural.
But for most small businesses, stock photography is the best way to get high quality, professional photos on their site. Most small companies don’t have in-house photographers to produce high-quality images.
The key here is to pick stock photos that aren’t overused. When an image is used all over the internet and in all kinds of print materials, you don’t want to use it.
You want your content to be fresh and original. So always try to pick stock images that are natural and not used that often. This will help your site feel more authentic.
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve read through these tips about what makes a great website, it’s time to try them out. Pick your favorites and implement them today.
Have questions? Feel free to contact us.
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