PRINCIPLES OF GOOD WEBSITE DESIGN – if you google it,

you’ll find that there are:

“8 Factors to Consider…” and “9 Principles of…” or “6 Steps to…” as well as “5 Golden rules of…”

If you really want to know the principles or qualities of good web design – there are MANY!

In this blog, we’ll unpack a few of them so you will know what to expect from your web designer and know what to look for in your website design.

The main purpose of an effective website is to engage its visitors and deliver a specific message all while being visually appealing. Sounds simple, right? There is actually A LOT more that goes into achieving these things.

ENGAGE VISITORS – this is a big one.

You should always put your user first. This means having clear and intuitive navigation. Visitors should be able to easily find the information they are looking for when navigating through your site. They should know as soon as they arrive on your website home page that they are at the right place. This means that your business name and logo should be prominently displayed, and match whatever the visitor initially saw to bring them to your website in the first place - whether it be your business card, social media profile, brochure, etc. (This could lead me off on a tangent about best branding practices, but we’ll leave that for another blog. 😊 We will touch on branding again, however, when discussing being visually appealing.)

NAVIGATION & CTA’S

The navigation menu should also be prominently displayed and be organized logically. You want your users to be able to navigate through different sections and pages of your site effortlessly – should they become confused or frustrated, it is likely they might not go from visitor to customer.

A good web design will have eye-catching Calls-to-Action strategically positioned throughout your site. What are calls-to-action? They prompt your visitors to take a specific action – for example, subscribing to your newsletter, filling out your contact form or attending an event or workshop you’re hosting.

CTA’s should visually grab a visitor’s attention, use persuasive language or be positioned in a way that the user feels that it is a logical “next click.” They can be used like steppingstones, guiding your visitors on a desired path of conversion.

SEO Friendly

Another key factor of web design is taking search optimization into account. This means incorporating keywords in your website page titles, image alt tags and meta tags so that when potential customers take to the search engines to find something, you have an increased chance of it being YOU! By having these keywords and tags in your site, it can really enhance its visibility in search engine rankings. You want to drive new users to your site organically as much as possible, to result in more leads and more sales.

BE VISUALLY APPEALING

One key to executing a visually appealing web design is cohesiveness. You want to have established branding first. Once you have that, your designer should stay on brand – using your color palette, typography and imagery consistently throughout the design. Doing this creates a more professional look and helps solidify a sense of brand identity.

RESPONSIVENESS & INTEGRATION

In the digital age we’re in today, a lot more potential customers are going to be looking you up on their mobile devices. Good web design is seamless across devices – from desktop to tablet and mobile. A responsive website will adjust its layout to adapt to the screen it’s being presented on for optimal viewing, regardless of screen size.

On the topic of mobile devices…social media platforms are a frequent place millions of people visit multiple times a day – every day. Good web design will integrate your social media accounts by incorporating social media buttons and sharing features. This means your website visitors can share your site on their own social media profiles and drive even more potential customers back to your site, all while increasing your visibility!

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Now that you’ve learned a few of the many qualities that make up good web design, you’ll be even better at identifying great websites and understanding why they are notable. When choosing a web designer, make sure that they take into consideration all of these factors.