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5 Tips About Web Design

Effective web design that invites visitors to each page—and converts them into customers—isn’t as easy to achieve as you might think. In my experience, I’ve heard several theories about web design that unfortunately aren’t true. To help you avoid these misconceptions, here are five of the most widespread myths about web design and the real truth behind them.

WDQ 1: YOUR WEBSITE DOESN’T NEED TO CHANGE

One mistake many people make is assuming that web design projects always have a start, a middle, and an end. This theory is not correct—it’s like saying that the window of your store must constantly remain the same. The process of creating a website should be ongoing; you need to keep updating, innovating, and expanding. With the launch of your website, you should monitor what works—and what doesn’t work—for your target audience. Only then will you be able to turn your website into a powerful sales tool.

Tip: Web design trends are constantly evolving, along with web browsers and devices. It’s a good idea to do a redesign every two to three years to be sure that your site works in the best way possible. That said, keep in mind that just because something is a trend doesn’t mean it will work for your audience.

WDQ 2: YOU WILL HAVE TO LIKE YOUR WEBSITE

The truth is your site is not made for you, but rather for your audience. And what does that mean? That your website will be based on the preferences of both your active users and the people you want to attract. Be sure to ask the following questions: What information are my visitors looking for? What should the site tell them in order to convert them into customers? What style of images resonates with them? What style and size of text appeals to them?

Tip: While you probably don’t have a sixth sense, you do have a valuable tool at your fingertips: your active and long-term customers. Ask them to share feedback or to complete a survey. By knowing their preferences and pet peeves, you’ll have a better idea of what your audience really wants, not just presumptions about what you think they might want.

WDQ 3: YOUR WEBSITE NEEDS TO BE AN ODE TO AMAZING WEB DESIGN

Sure, a website should be stylish and stand out from others in order to get noticed, but beware! The user experience is by far the most important factor. The design of your website should be done in such a way that it guides the visitor, enables them to navigate quickly and easily, and helps them accomplish what they came to your site to do with ease. For example, in an online store, the user should be able to move quickly from one product to the next, jump to a different product category, filter their search results, check out, etc.

Tip: In addition to beautiful and functional design, don’t forget to make the call-to-action prominent to encourage the visitor to take the next step.

WDQ 4: WEB DESIGN CAN BE DONE ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET

The old adage “You get what you pay for” rings true here. If your budget is too small, you can’t expect to get a very good website. There’s a lot that goes into making a great website “underneath the hood” to come up in search results, be user friendly, and showcase your products in the best way. You’ll also want the content on your site to be well-written by a professional copywriter and help from an SEO specialist to ensure your site ranks in search results. You may also want to engage a researcher to help with analysis of your site. It’s worth taking the time and resources necessary to optimize your site and make sure it delivers the best experience possible.

Tip: Creating a site with a larger budget gives you confidence that your site will offer the best user experience. It should also be optimized for SEO and aim to convert visitors into customers.

WDQ 5: THE DESIGN IS ALL THERE IS TO IT

While design is a central part of creating a quality website, it takes more than just great design for your site to be a hit with your customers—and to attract new visitors to your site. An important part of your site is the user experience. If users aren’t able to accomplish what they came to your site to do, they’re not likely to come back no matter how good your site looks. Good UX is critical. A researcher can help you gauge how people feel about your site, so you can determine what’s working and what’s not working. To help new visitors find your site, optimizing for search engines is an important tool. SEO is in itself an art, and continuing to fine-tune it will ensure a steady stream of new traffic to your site.

Tip: In order to not go crazy, draw up an SEO strategy with long-term goals each month. This will ensure that the site can show up in searches for keywords that are targeted and very soon you will see the coveted increase in your ROI.

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