Whether you are setting up a website from scratch or updating an existing one, it is important to do it right. Why is it important to get a compelling design? Will it really help to generate new business and also make your company more credible with customers?
5 Key components of website design:
- Navigation: This is the most important part of a website. Ease of navigation can make or break a website, especially if a site has a lot of pages. If a website has to be robust, it will need a number of pages to offer up essential information. Site navigation includes a tool bar with a label list which make it easy to find pages. Good navigation makes it easy to understand and find information. Designers should try to keep it simple while designing this aspect and make it easy even for children to understand.
- Brand consistency: Every company has a logo which is used in print for business cards, letterheads and so on. This should be used in a website’s design as well, for consistency. It is important for customers – it will help them to identify your band and also associate it with your company philosophy and values. If visuals are not the same across the board, it can make a customer feel disconnected from your brand and move away.
- SEO: Whether a person is dealing with a regular book or a web page, they like to read it the same way – left to right, top to bottom. Designers keep this in mind when they are working on design. They place the most important items in the upper left column. This gets the message to readers more effectively. This is an aspect of SEO as well – having all the right keywords placed properly in HTML based text makes it easy for search engines to find you. Increased visibility is what everyone aspires to.
- Content: Website content is another important component – it offers information on your company, the brand and what a company offers. Another important element to consider while creating content is visuals. Keeping the message short and simple yet welcoming is a balancing act. The aim is to ensure that the message is remembered by the visitor. When there is a lot of text, a page gets cluttered and can lead to a person losing interest. Streamline content, include pictures and make sure that the page is balanced so that a reader’s brain is not overwhelmed by too much information.
- Building Trust: This is really important as well and will not happen until a company gets to know its customer base. Knowing them well and what they want is essential and can be done through surveys and other marketing techniques. Engage customers in a dialogue and learn about their needs – this will help you to implement small changes in your overall design and product range.