The best websites put the needs of their users above all else. With the right web design strategies, your site will draw people in for a visit and create loyal users.
When you hear the term “web design,” the aesthetics of your site might be what first comes to mind. However, making your website visually attractive is just one of the many web design practices available for maximizing your site’s appeal.
Reach out to Gauge Digital Media today to see how we can help you optimize the functionality of your website.
1. Familiar User Interface Design
Put simply, a website with a great user interface design is easy for people to use. Even first-time visitors will have no trouble navigating the website to find what they are looking for. You can do this by using the same navigation tools as similar, familiar websites as part of your site and by keeping consistent content organization.
2. Seamlessness Across Devices
About half of the visits to websites worldwide originate from mobile devices. So your content should be optimized for mobile usage. This includes breaking up your text into shorter paragraphs to make it easier for people to read on their phones and making sure an image will have the appropriate resolution regardless of the device.
While some people only use mobile devices to access websites and others only use laptops or desktop computers. However, many individuals access the same websites on different devices at different times. The features of your website should translate seamlessly no matter what device a person is using to access it.
3. Accessibility
Making sure your site allows for positive user experiences requires having the needs of all its users in mind. This includes the needs of people with a variety of disabilities. You can implement several practices to improve accessibility on your site. These include descriptive alt text descriptions, which screen readers use to describe the images on a page for those who are blind or visually impaired, and transcription of any audio content for those who are deaf or hearing impaired. Practices such as these are not only crucial for individual users with disabilities but can make the user experience better for people without disabilities as well.
4. Personalization
Personalization allows your users to use your website efficiently. By tracking each user’s data, you can have their most frequently visited pages on hand. If you are working in the e-commerce field, personalization can be a particularly valuable tool. By knowing what items your customers have looked at most – and reminding them of those items – you can direct customers to products they are likely to enjoy and also increase sales.
Did you know that Gauge Digital Media offers risk-free digital marketing consultations to any interested customers? Visit our website today to learn more.
5. Visual Design
Although your site’s visual design is not everything, it is an integral part of creating an effective site. Users are far less likely to use a website that is not visually pleasing, because ugly sites can often also contain disorganized, unclear, or distracting content. Like wearing your best professional outfit to an interview, creating a visually appealing site breaks that first-impression barrier and enables users to focus on and learn from your content.
When creating your site, you want the visual design to look pleasant, and you also want to make sure it reflects the aesthetics of your brand. For many of us, the color schemes and logos of many major corporations would be recognizable anywhere. Designing your website with the color schemes and symbols associated with your business can make a huge impact down the line for building a consistent audience and fostering brand loyalty.
6. Credibility
Your content is at the core of your site. Most users visit the site because of what you have to say, and sharing that content is likely why you created your site. If your site, like most sites, focuses primarily on written content, you have to prove yourself as a credible source for information.
This overlaps with several other areas of web design. Your website needs to have a professional-looking design and layout and contain well-written and well-researched content. Correct spelling and grammar, a consistent tone across all of the pages of your site, and, in some cases, hyperlinks that connect to the expert sources of information are all excellent ways to boost your credibility.
Without those signals of professionalism, visitors might look for similar information on the topic from a different site. Website users stick around when they know that they have found a site with information they can trust.
Contact Gauge Digital Media
If you need support in designing a website that meets your needs, we are here to help. Call Gauge Digital Media at (410) 376-7709 to learn more.
