Websites are fast becoming the face of small businesses, making it imperative to choose a digital marketing agency who employ good website design practices. The success of a website depends largely on the methods of design; so, in this article, we will share some of our top tips for achieving a good website design in order to increase traffic and drive conversions! First, the importance of simplicity should not be underrated. Trying to jam-pack each page of your website with written and graphic content can leave a user feeling overwhelmed, with difficult navigation and unnecessary information making it hard for a consumer to find what they’re looking for. Next, your website must be consistent in visual design and writing style. Specifications such as font style, size and colour palette should be the same throughout, and must also reflect your branding that exists across other platforms, i.e. social media, pamphlets, business cards etc.

Similarly to the previous point, readability is a crucial element of good website design, in terms of both font and language used. The more niche or technical your business is, the more important it is to use plain English to ensure your key messages are accurately received by your target consumers. Our forth tip around mobile compatibility is arguably becoming one of the most critical factors of good website design. With over half of all web searches in 2018 generated by mobile devices, it is absolutely essential that your website is able to adapt to different mediums, such as PC, smartphone and tablet. Ease of navigation and attractive page layout should not be compromised, with people simply choosing to take their business elsewhere if they cannot easily access what it is they need. The same can be said for page load time – consumers are time poor, and fast become impatient on websites that do not quickly respond to their requests.

Simple navigation relies on the effective use of links and menus, as well as the layout of each individual page to achieve good website design. Whitespace also contributes to ease of navigation and effectiveness of layout, essentially working to guide a reader’s eye to the key messages. There is no need cover every square inch with content just to make it appear fuller. Our final tip is about the absolute king of good website design – content. You must communicate your key information efficiently and effectively in order to motivate users to find out more information, or to pick up the phone and call. Written content should come first, with visuals and graphic design elements proving most effective when they are used to support the message. So, all in all, good website design encompasses simplicity, consistency, readability, adaptability, efficiency, simple navigation, and effective use of content. However, it doesn’t end there.