If you’re a business today, chances are you already have a website. But if it’s not a a particularly good one, if it’s poorly designed or worse yet, if you rarely ever even update it, you’re not maximizing the web for everything it can do for your business. The numbers don’t lie — 57% of all businesses today have landed a new customer through their company blog.
Making the website might be easy; getting found is the hard part. But the best way to make your site stand out in the search rankings is through building the absolute best website you can. In order to do that, you’re going to need to know some insider tips. Here are four basic website design tips and tricks every company should understand before launching a brand new endeavor on the internet.
1. Linkable, likable logos.
Most website design tips and tricks would tell you to feature your logo prominently in the upper left of your website. Easy enough, right? But it’ll also do you wonders to make that logo a clickable link that automatically directs users back to your homepage. Plus, no one’s going to want to click on a logo that doesn’t pop off the screen, so take some time to develop it and make it eye-catching. And speaking of catching some eyes…
2. Simplification.
Sites cluttered up with banner ads, excessive sidebar navigation and too many photos tend to shut users off immediately. It’s simply too much stimuli for one pair of eyes to take in at once. For balance, keep your site simple, but never ordinary. If you’re building a professional website for veterinary clinic, for example, don’t clutter the page with dogs, cats, bird, guinea pigs and rabbits — pick two (the best two) and stick with them for now. Your users will appreciate the clarity.
3. Easy fonts, easy graphics.
Again, too many colors are bad, but the right amount can prove to be dynamite. You want to access a color and font palette that’s accessible on a wide range of computers and operating systems, so stick to the tried-and-true. No, not Comic Sans or Arial, but the basic stuff that every browser can load in seconds. Understanding how to build your website strategically is everything.
4. Responsive web design.
“Responsive” has been the leading buzzword in the design world for a long time, but it’s probably the most important of all the website marketing tips you can follow. Invest in web design that adapts to how it’s being viewed — for example, mobile means a smaller screen with only the essential elements. Studies show that by 2017 mobile viewing is poised to overtake desktop browsing, so this is your chance to stay ahead of the curve.
Now you have a toolbox of website design tips and tricks available at your disposal. Try them out! If you can’t find a design that works, consider getting in touch with a professional firm that can help build it for you. Continue reading here.
