Technology is constantly changing, and the latest and greatest is quickly the old and has been. That’s why it’s always a good idea to take a fresh look at your website, especially if it hasn’t been updated recently. Here are a few things to think about when it comes to effective website design.
- Mobile optimized
In other words, how does your company website look on your phone? Mobile use surpassed desktop use in 2016 (these percentages vary depending on what country you’re looking at). At EdgeMark, our analytics show that we experience a slightly higher number of views through mobile than desktop, with a small percentage of views originating from tablets.
What this means is, getting your site into phone-friendly shape is crucial. That’s why it’s number one on the list. Customers should be able to view your site just easily on their phone as they do on their laptop…if they even use a laptop any more.
- Simple design
Simplicity is key, and as simple as it sounds, it’s not always easy to achieve because often companies want to include every single benefit / feature they offer. At the very least, make your home page clutter free.
- Have a clear hierarchy of information
We all use the Internet and we all have a basic idea of how to navigate a site. This innate knowledge should come into play when designing your site. Where is the “table of contents.” How does your website visitor move from page to page, subject to subject? Is it intuitive? Easy to understand?
While you’re brainstorming the design look and feel, research other sites—note ones that you like, that you may want to emulate. Think about how you move around the site. Do you get stuck anywhere?
- Make your content easy to read
Condense copy, make sure lengthy copy is broken into small chunks, bold or highlight key information you need to stand out. You only have seconds to grab the reader’s attention before they click somewhere else. Make it count.
Tip: don’t use a crazy color background with a font color you can’t hardly see. This is a design issue, of course, but go easy on the eyes if you want to keep readers.
- Think SEO but write for humans.
Yes, it’s important to incorporate SEO, but’s it’s also important—more important—for what you’re writing to make sense to humans. Capitalize on keywords, but not at the risk of confusion.
- Capture customer information.
This is crucial! Whether you offer a free e-book or newsletter or a pdf download for a marketing strategy, give yourself some opportunities to gather customer information. These individuals are important leads for your business.
In the middle of a redesign and want some recommendations? Contact us today! We’ll give you a free website audit to get you on the right track.
