Change is a constant force in nature and a natural law of the universe. The world of web design is no different.
As tech evolves and the impossible becomes "possible," the standard of what constitutes "good" web design evolves.
Giving your website a refresh to match with modern standards is not a matter of preference, but rather, a must-have (if you hope to keep up with competitors and meet consumers' expectations).
Just think about your favorite restaurant - there's a really good chance its interior looked a whole lot different in the year 2011, and an almost certainty it looked extremely different in 2001. Times change and consumers' expectations evolve - it's no different online.
Today we’re going to look at a few different design qualities all modern websites should have. Look through these and ask yourself if your website has these or if it falls a little short.
Today's consumers' interact with apps like Facebook, Amazon, and Netflix all-the-time, almost 24/7. Consumers' are trained to expect, and demand, a simple, intuitive design interface that makes navigation easy.
If your website is out-of-touch, hard to navigate, and out-of-date, consumers will notice and look elsewhere. Web users (especially millennials and younger) are savvy and quick to recognize and harshly critique dated online presences.
Many users regularly or exclusively use smart phones to get online. This means your website must be mobile-friendly and responsive.
What’s more, Google heavily favors websites that are mobile web optimized in its search rankings and penalizes websites that aren’t.
Less is more in 2021.
Minimalistic designs showcase information where users can find it - delivering a far better user experience than cluttered interfaces with distracting elements.
This means it may be time to consider retiring those shadows, reflections, 3D renderings and other elements that defined websites of yesteryear.
Websites shouldn’t complicate things and leave your visitors thinking if they should contact your business at all.
This one's simple enough - long load times are a bad thing. You don't like it, your site visitors don't like it, and search engines don’t like it either (Google penalizes slow-loading sites).
A lot of load time issues are due to dated site design principles baked into old websites.
In a world where instant-gratification is everywhere, a slow website is an instant turnoff.
We live in a world where a website is the first impression most customers have of a business. Whether it's fair or not, first impressions matter.
Fear not if you're feeling that your website may need a refresh. We're here to help.
Hostway now offers Website Design Services. With this service, you can now get a professional, modern, and elegant website for your business - all created for you.
Visit our Website Design Services page and schedule a free consultation with us to see if our design service makes sense for you.
Your website is an opportunity to connect to the public, potential partners, prospective clients, and essentially the entire world.
This is a place where you want to tell your story and engage with individuals in a way that leads them to a desired result, whether that be a call, purchase, consultation, or a download.
Your website answers the "this is who we are, this is what we do, and this is what I want you to do" questions.
It's your story.
Words are powerful, but when it comes to websites, design is a significant component. A busy, cluttered site can send out a mixed message or bury a message altogether.
A clear, purposeful site does a better job, but there is a limit. A site that goes too far with simplicity and white space can create an underwhelming message or lose visitors' focus.
There's obviously a lot to think about. Let’s take a look at some of the most critical web design components and what they have to say to a visitor.
1) Load performance – When a user visits a website, you have precious little time to engage with them - nobody likes to wait around. Load-oriented design means that components are designed to load quickly, paying respect to size, positioning, and technical composition.
2) White space – It is difficult to avoid the impulse to fill space. However, white space on a page enables the page, through design, to guide the visitor to what is most important on your page. It might be a capture dialog, it might be a product, it might be a phone number - whatever it is that you want to highlight can only benefit from a proper amount of room around it.
3) Line space and padding – Reading should be easy and without proper spacing, users can easily get lost in crowded spaces. With padding, attention is paid to the proximity between text and other elements of the page - page components should flow together, without conflict or distractions.
4) Mobile experience – Mobile design is a must-have. Every day, all day, visitors surf and engage on their phones - they demand websites to look good on mobile. Responsive page design allows for a variety of device sizes to present pages in an optimized design style.
5) Symmetry – Symmetry of page components is pleasing to the eye and keeps readers engaged with your message and brand.
6) Colors – Getting the fundamentals of color consistency, contrast, and color selection correct make all the difference you need to stand out and appeal to visitors.
7) Design components – Use and don’t overuse design components. Text boxes, graphical cues, radio buttons, and many components can help create your business story effectively. It’s easy to get carried away however, meaning it’s possible to clutter up pages with too many components.
Note that regardless of what platform your site is running on – custom code, WordPress, and beyond, you're going to need to do some design planning. Anything short of that, or off the shelf, can result in an ineffective effort, loss of SEO, and most significantly, a lost opportunity to evoke the message you want to share with visitors.
It’s a competitive online world and you need a professional, attractive design that is developed through a proper, purpose-driven design process.
The finished result of a great design process should look unforced, is easy to navigate, performs well, and shares the message you want to share effectively.
At Hostway, we’ll design for your business a brand new modern, professional, beautiful, and responsive website with all the features you need to attract and convert visitors into customers.
Interested? Learn more about our Website Design Services.
With so many options out there, the question comes up all the time – should I have professionals design a website for me?
Here's reasons why a website design service may be the best choice for your business.
A unique, modern, fresh website design is the best marketing tool you have - communicating to prospects what your business stands for.
SEO wise, when it comes to competing for Google listing real estate, custom designed sites are usually built with streamlined code and SEO best practices in mind.
Your business and professional profile are unique, so why would you want a site that isn't? Standard, run of the mill sites are boring and don't grab your attention and engage your visual senses.
When the difference between two competing businesses (in the eyes of prospects) comes down only to only how attractive their websites look - which is often the case - design makes all the difference in the world.
In the minds of potential customers and business partners, the design of a website is a critical. When a site is appealing and easy to use, people notice and place more trust in your business. Customers that trust you are more willing to provide you with their information and make a purchase.
A beautiful websites that stands out from the crowd can truly communicate your message in a way that standard websites can't. Competition is fierce and every impression of your business counts.
Working with an experienced team of website developers is well worth the cost, providing personalized and tailored services to fit your needs.
The process usually begins with an informational gathering Q&A session with whoever's going to build your site. This allows your website designer to get to know your business and understand what your website requires.
From there, your web design team will take your requirements and develop your website.
A website is an extension of your business and is usually the first thing a prospect sees about your business. If you're not a designer yourself, the only way to truly build a website that stands out from the crowd is with the help of a custom website design service.
At Hostway, we’ll design for your business a brand new modern, professional, beautiful, and responsive website with all the features you need to attract and convert visitors into customers.
Interested? Learn more about our Website Design Services.