While there are dozens, if not hundreds, of elements of effective web design and all are important, some are just more important than others if you want your website to ‘work’ for you. Always remember that you aren’t developing a website for your company but rather for the user, that invaluable customer that keeps you in business day after day, year after year. With that in mind, here are five of the most crucial elements of effective web design.
1. Navigation as It Relates to UX
You may have heard web developers talk about UX as if that’s something you should understand. If you don’t understand what they are referring to, don’t be alarmed. You are not alone. UX is simply the acceptable abbreviation for User Experience and that is what your website is all about. If you want visitors to have a great experience on your site, one of the most critical elements is making it easy for them to navigate from page to page – and especially to your shopping cart!
2. The Importance of an About Us Page
It is no secret that today’s consumer wants to know something about the companies they deal with. Altogether too many companies don’t have an About Us page, which leaves visitors to wonder what they aren’t telling you! Right off the bat, they will think you are some fly by night company from a third world nation looking to cash in on our hard-earned dollars. Don’t make that mistake! Tell them who you are, what you do, and make your mission statement clear. They’ll love you for it, even if they don’t agree with what you stand for.
3. Call to Action
Whether you want visitors to navigate through your site, contact you or buy a product, it is essential that you give them a call to action. Some websites use simple links like, “find it here” while others ask a question that requires a response. However, having said all that, the desired response is typically clicking a link of some kind, whether it is to buy a product, contact the site admin or some other response that needs user involvement.
4. Selective Use of Fonts
Then there are fonts. Most expert web designers agree that too many sites misuse all the fonts available. Stick to one or two, perhaps three if custom graphics are used, but be selective in your use of modern fonts specifically created for web design. Overusing fonts is a key mistake common among too many newbie web designers.
5. Contact Information
This can be the biggest obstacle of all! You are obviously in business to sell something, be it a product or service, but what happens when someone has a question? If you don’t tell them who to contact and how to contact you, they probably will skip on by to the next site that can answer their questions!
Just remember that you are speaking to an audience and you want to engage them to keep them there long enough to buy whatever it is you are selling. If you can enhance the UX with your web design, you have won the battle.
