According to Internet Live Stats, “There are over 1.5 billion websites on the world wide web today.” Even with this huge amount of websites that we have access to, spotting the bad ones is easy. Poor site navigation, page structure and inadequate information are all reasons users leave a website, never to return. The more complicated question to answer is, “What makes a website good?” There are three different parts to the entire answer to this question. The first part of the answer addresses the foundations that every good website needs. Without these basic foundations user experience suffers, losing potential customers and possible revenue. The second part to the answer involves the common mistakes that designers make (both professionals and do-it-yourselfers). Paying attention and avoiding these common mistakes creates a website experience that users will enjoy and remember. The third part of the answer requires research and updating your website. Knowing the most current trends of users (wants, expectations, etc.) and design (website layout, graphics, etc.) is another important piece of keeping your website modern and updated. Now, let’s break each of these elements down into more detail to show how these make a website good.
Foundations of Good Website Design
- Website Purpose
The first step of any website design/redesign project is to determine the purpose of the website. Is it to sell products and services? Is the purpose of the site for information? Without a main purpose, the website structure is scattered and disorganized. This also makes developing a content strategy difficult because of a lack of understanding of the target audiences. Without knowing who to market to, creating a content strategy is impossible and the proper visual design won’t be achieved.
As the purpose of the website is found and put into place, if there is already a website, make an honest evaluation of each page. Look at each page and determine whether it is necessary based around the main purpose of the site. Ask, “Does this page help achieve my goals?” If a page doesn’t achieve the goals of the website, eliminate the page. Every page of your website should offer information based on the primary goals of the website.
- Develop Customer Personas
After establishing the purpose of the website, develop the target audience the website is serving. This will not only determine the direction of the website’s content strategy, but also dictates the visual organization of the website (images, page orientation, etc.). Detailed customer personas are a major factor when finding the direction for your website.
A customer persona is a fictional customer that is part of the target audience. These personas include age, gender, buying habits, location and other demographics that all influence the website. After a detailed analysis is made of all possible personas, the website’s visuals are created and the content strategy is developed to meet the needs and expectations of all possible customers the website is targeting.
- Website Navigation and Internal Links
Now that there’s an understanding of the purpose of the website and who the target audiences are, the website’s pages, navigation and internal links are developed. These should be made with “simple and easy” in mind at all times. Visitors to your website want the information you have quick, the navigation to be clear and the flow of the site to be easy to follow. Each page of the website should deliver information that is unique and has value for each stage of the buying journey that includes internal links to lead the user farther down the buying cycle until a conversion is made. By making this process as simple and easy as possible, users will be more enticed to stay engaged with the website.
Navigation Tip: If the website has 8 or less parent pages, the navigation menu should be placed in the header at the top of the page. If the website has 9 or more parent pages, the navigation menu should be placed in the left sidebar in a list format.
Every page, navigation button and internal link should be very clear and explain where the user is, or where they are going on the website. By telling users where they are and where they will go next, allows them to easily browse through the website, knowing what information will be on each page. This builds trust for the information on each page of the website and in the brand.
- Visual Design
After the page structure, navigation and internal links are created, the visual design of the website is planned and developed. There are many visual elements that will have to be taken into account and these decisions will be based on the target audience(s). Is the website targeting B2B users and need to look more clean and professional? Is it a B2C website that needs to be more “fun” to attract customers? These are the kind of questions answered by knowing customer personas and dictates what the website will look like visually. This includes font(s) (size & style), color schemes, images, videos, backgrounds, copy, animations, content organization on the page, etc. Each one of these visual elements is important in the message that the website translates to the user. However, certain design trends come into play as the visual design is planned, so make sure the message of the website also includes current design trends. This shows the website is modern and is giving the correct information to the right users, creating trust in the content and the brand.
- High Quality Images and Video
Now that the look of the website is laid out, it is time to add the images and video to the website. The images and video are the visual elements that show off products or services. These visual elements should be crisp, clean high quality images and video to represent these products or services in the best way. If the images and videos of the website are blurry and hard to see, users not only lose interest in what the website is offering but it also gives a poor first impression. Be very strict on the selection of images and videos for the website to represent the products and services. By displaying these high quality visuals on the website, users are more likely to stay engaged with the site and get the impression that these are quality products and services because of these high quality visual elements.
- Selecting Fonts
Font types and sizes can be easily overlooked during the development of the website. However, the styles and sizes of the font you use for the website are key in delivering the information of the website. Sans-serif fonts (AaBbCc) offer a clean, modern look to the website. These fonts are typically more attention grabbing to the user and easier to read. Serif fonts (AaBbCc) are typically used to show the serious and professional nature of the website. Script fonts and other stylized fonts should be used very carefully. These types of fonts are good for branding on the website, but should be avoided as the main paragraph font because of the reading difficulties of these fonts. Test different types of fonts while creating the website, but remember the main goal is to deliver information to the user. Choose fonts that are clean, clear and easy to read to offer the best presentation of the information on the website.
- Writing Copy
The last step in the foundations of what makes a website good is the copy (or writing) of the website. Make sure the information put on the website is unique, creative and valuable to the user. The way this copy is presented to the user demonstrates how the website stands out over other competition and shows why the products and services are better. Remember, the copy should represent the purpose and tone of the website but also needs to be easy to read and understand. By thinking of users first, developing copy is tailored towards them, assuring that the proper information is being delivered at the right time.
By understanding and following these foundational steps of good website design, creating a good website becomes easier. Think of the users and customers during the entire designing and building process. This keeps the purpose of the website clear and the building process completely tailored to the user experience, making the website more valuable to the user.
Common Web Design Mistakes
- Lacking Information
As soon as a website loads, “users form an opinion in .05 seconds,” according to Betsy McLeod from Blue Corona. If the website does not clearly state what the website is about, users will find a website that delivers the information they want. At a minimum, make sure the products or services of the website are clear and easily seen. Support the products and services with customer reviews, testimonials, awards, etc. to add more value them and to show why they are better than the competition.
- Not Mobile-Friendly
The increase of mobile use has increased the demand for mobile-friendly websites more now than in the past. According to Blue Compass, “71% of the US population search on their mobile device and then convert on desktop.” By having a responsive design of the website, information is delivered to the user, no matter what device they are on. This creates a trust in the website, making it easier for the user to come back to the website later to get more details. Websites typically look different on mobile compared to desktop, so be sure to include the most important information on mobile to entice the user to come back and see more details on the desktop version of the website.
- No SEO at the Beginning
Search engine optimization or SEO is often overlooked or implemented after the website design process. This is a common mistake and should be avoided. SEO helps the website show up in SERPs (search engine result pages) presenting your website to users during a search. By designing with an SEO strategy, the website is able to start ranking for keywords placed throughout the website. Pay special attention to headings and subheadings (H1, H2, H3), URLs, page titles and the copy of the page to implement SEO. Make sure to consult with an SEO specialist during the entire design and building of the website to give it the best advantages of being found immediately after publishing.
- Lack of Updating After Launch
Websites are not finished once they are published and launched. They require updating and monitoring to make sure they are functioning and staying current. Website are living entities of a business and, just like a business, need to be monitored and analyzed. By using analytics of the website performance, decisions are made for changes and updates to keep the website modern and engaging.
Of course there are many more mistakes that should be avoided during the design and building process of a website, but these seem to be more common mistakes that are easier to avoid. By avoiding these mistakes, your website will offer a great user experience and deliver the right information at the proper time.
Some New Web Design Trends of 2019
- Serif Fonts
Serif fonts are now being used in design as attention grabbing visuals. By using these style of fonts in headings and CTAs (call to actions), a more professional and decorative look is added to a website. Sans-serif font is still the preferred font for long reading, but by adding a serif font, websites have a new added character that stands out.
- Black & White on the Page
Color always plays a key role in website design. It translates messages, creates the mood of the website and portrays the brand of a company. However, using black and white color palettes give a website a more modern look and creates an attention-grabbing scenario on the page. When color is added to a monochrome color scheme it has a new attention grabbing affect on the user. By adding this new style of design, a website can lead the user through the site to a conversion in a different way, making the website stand out.
- More Video
Users want and expect more video from brands. Video offers a way of promoting products and services that text and still images just can’t convey. By listening to your users and offering more visual stimulation with video, the website becomes much more memorable and can be easily updated to keep users coming back repeatedly for information. This creates trust in your brand and develops loyalty from the users engaging with the content on the page.
These are the three elements that answer the question, “What makes a website good?” Paying attention to the foundations of good website design, avoiding common mistakes and staying current with design trends makes creating an engaging website that is easy for users to navigate and read much easier. Stay focused on the purpose of the website and the target audience and your website will provide the user experience that is memorable and trustworthy.
For more information about websites and their importance, read our article "Why is it Important to Have a Good Website?" and learn more details on improving your website.
Resources
https://tech.co/website-builders/what-makes-good-website
https://99designs.com/blog/trends/web-design-trends-2019/
https://www.bluecorona.com/blog/web-design-mistakes-to-avoid
