12 Things to Consider When Designing a Website
A website is a critical tool for any business. A great website design can increase sales and enhance your brand’s image, while a bad one can have the opposite effect.
With so much at stake, it’s important to make sure that every aspect of your site—from its design and functionality to its security—is as good as possible. Here are 12 things to consider when designing a website.
1. Choosing a Domain and Host
The first thing you have to do is decide what domain name you want. Your domain will direct people to your website and if it’s catchy and easy to remember, it’ll be more likely that people will visit your site. If possible, try to use your company name or the name of the business in the URL. For example, Google uses “google.com.”
It’s not necessary that you own this domain though—you can purchase one from any online provider such as GoDaddy. When picking out a new domain, keep in mind that there are two types: country codes (.ca) and generic TLDs (Top Level Domains). The latter is more popular but costs more money because they’re more difficult to register.
2. Clean Design
Designing a clean website is important for several reasons. A clean design is easier to read and navigate, which makes it more attractive. The cleanliness of your site also means that social media users will be more likely to share your content on their accounts since it’s easier to digest when presented properly.
Additionally, since search engines like Google prefer websites with organized content over messy ones (which can get banned from their search results), having a tidy layout will help you rank higher in organic searches.
3. Effective Color Scheme
Color is one of the most important aspects of designing a website. It can help lead visitors to take action, guide them through your content and draw their attention to what matters most. If you’re working on an e-commerce site or have other goals in mind for that matter, it’s essential that you choose colors that work together effectively.
Color scheme consistency will help users understand how different sections of your site relate to one another and make it easier for them to navigate between pages. One way you can accomplish this is by using similar colors throughout an entire website (for example, using red as an accent color across all pages). You could also set up color schemes for specific types of content like product pages versus blogs or contact forms etc.
4. Branding
Branding is critical for any website, and it’s one of the first things you need to consider when designing your site. If a visitor comes to your site and sees something that doesn’t look familiar, they’re likely not going to stick around long enough to read through your content. Your branding should be consistent across all of your platforms—and if it’s not, then you need to rethink your strategy.
5. Functionality
When designing a website, it is important to think about function. There are many things that need to be considered when designing a website in terms of functionality. For starters, the site should be easy for users to use and navigate through, as well as maintained and updated by the owner.
It should also be designed with search engine optimization in mind so that it can rank high on Google’s results page. Finally, the site should look good on mobile devices where most people access websites these days.
6. Usability
The most important aspect of your website is how easy it is to use. Your website’s design should be based on user experience, which means that you should always be thinking about how your site will look and feel from a user’s perspective. The interface (how the user interacts with your site) is also an important part of user experience design, as this is what determines how easy it is for people to navigate through pages on their own.
7. Call to Action
Your website should be designed so that every page has a clear call to action. A call to action is your website’s way of guiding a visitor from one page to another, or from one location on the site to another. If you have an eCommerce store, this may mean directing users from “product pages” (which show the features and benefits of each product) to “checkout pages” (where visitors can complete their purchases).
If you have an informational website, it might mean directing visitors from “about us” pages where they learn about your company or organization’s history and mission statement, right down through contact information where they can reach out with questions or concerns.
8. Short Loading Times
It’s not just the speed of your website that matters, but how fast it loads. There is an average of 3 seconds (or less) where a user will decide whether or not to abandon a page, and if you want people to stay on your site and complete their purchases, then you need to make sure that your website loads at lightning speed.
9. Compatibility with Multiple Browsers
Good browser compatibility is important for usability, search engine optimization, and your customers. For example, if you have a website that works well in any browser but not on Google Chrome, it’s going to be difficult for many people to visit your site.
Compatibility with older browsers can cause problems as well if your users are using outdated software that doesn’t support some of the latest technologies. It may also be troublesome if you want to use some new HTML5 features like geolocation or local storage because older browsers don’t support them yet.
10. Integration with Social Media
Integrating your website with social media is another way to get the word out about your business. Social media is an effective marketing tool, and it’s easy to use. You can create a Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram profile, or all three!
These platforms allow you to share posts that include pictures and videos showcasing what you do best—allowing potential customers a glimpse into your work without ever having reached out directly first. If you’re feeling confident enough in what you’ve created so far, social media may be an important part of getting new clients on board with what they offer online as well: one click away from giving them access right away.
11. Effective Security
If you want your website to be secure, then you need to make sure that it’s encrypted. An SSL certificate is the only way to ensure this and it can be obtained through a company like Let’s Encrypt. This will prevent people from being able to view your site without authorization.
Another thing you can do is install a firewall on your computer or server so that no one is able to access any of the internal files without authorization by an administrator or owner of said device(s).
12. Original Content
Original content is more important for inbound marketing than ever. In this age of information overload, it’s hard to get people to your website. But if you have original content that’s relevant and valuable, people will come back again and again—and they’ll tell their friends about it too!
This can also be a great way to build trust with your audience. Imagine this scenario: Someone visits your site looking for advice on how to clean up after a house fire, and they find an article on the topic written by an expert who knows what she’s talking about and not just some fluff from an SEO writer.
This person will probably feel like they can trust that author because they have something real and useful for them instead of just trying to sell them something or get them onto another page where there may be more ads waiting for them.
Conclusion
The design of your website is a critical aspect of your brand. It’s what people will see first when they visit, so it needs to look good and feel professional. And if you don’t have much experience with web design or know where to begin, don’t worry: there are plenty of experts who can help you out!
