Ten Do’s and Don’ts of Web Design
Let’s get right to the point: we’re not messing around here at Strathcom when it comes to Web Design. Here’s some solid advice for you on keeping your usability user-friendly and your landing pages converting.
Do: Make sure your site looks professional – it’s responsible web design
Sites that convey a sense of incompleteness or that look like they haven’t been updated in a while might scare off potential customers as they may feel like their information will be misused or mishandled.
Don’t: Constantly make wild changes between pages
Being consistent with your websites page will help customers navigate your site faster, as the layout will be familiar. That being said, having an occasional unique page can highlight specials or limited time offers.
Do: Make the navigation easy to find and use
Maintaining an easy-to-use navigation helps users track down the information they are looking for quickly and efficiently. Reducing visual clutter and maintaining a hierarchy will help customers find just what they’re searching for, making their experience on your website a pleasant one.
Don’t: Add large images and scripts that slow down your site
Nothing is more frustrating than a site that takes forever to load, especially on mobile. Making sure that your site is optimized to load as quickly as possible is important; keeping image files small and only using the JavaScript you need will help ensure your site provides a snappy experience.
Do: Scannability – take content seriously
People on the internet are on the move and they want to find what they are looking for quickly so they can move on with their day. Structuring your content so the most important of it stands out can help facilitate customers to move forward in becoming a lead. Maintaining a hierarchy will help make sure all of your content is easy to read, and editing will keep your information concise. And remember: if everything is bolded then nothing is bold, meaning that if everything is meant to grab attention, then everything will be fighting for attention and will cause customers to gloss over it.
Don’t: Use pop-ups for anything other than short-term sales
On-page pop-ups might seem like a great way to get a new (or old) visitor’s attention, and it is, however, a pop-up on every page or a pop-up that is perceived as a nuisance will only annoy and potentially drive away visitors. A short-term or temporary alert is the best way to use a pop-up. A pop-up for a flash sale or unexpected closure or change in hours of operation gives visitors important information in a way that’s hard to miss.
Do: Keep forms simple
The less time spent filling out a form, the more likely it is that form is going to be filled out and submitted. Try to keep forms short so they gather only the minimum amount of information needed. The exception would be forms that are known to be longer. A full credit app will require more info than a quick credit app, and using words to differentiate between the two will help set the expectation for visitors.
Don’t: Sacrifice usability for the sake of beauty
A fantastic-looking site that doesn’t convert is about as useful as a paperweight. Keeping up with modern web design is important because it keeps your website looking trustworthy and professional, however, that doesn’t mean you should jump on every new web trend you see. Things like changing the way scrolling works can hinder how someone uses your site.
Do: Test, test, and test again
If you decide to make changes to your site, consider running heatmap tests or jotting down the day you made the changes. That way you’ll be able to look at your GTM data down the line to see if the change helped or hindered your goals. One thing to remember is that tests do take time! The longer a test runs, the better picture you get for your data and site. We usually allow our tests to run for 60 days before looking at them.
Don’t: Fill up every inch of your website
White space is important because it helps draw attention to important features on a site, allows your sites to breathe, and doesn’t make everything feel so compressed and dense. The space around the elements on your site, down to the space between each line in the paragraphs, can all be adjusted to give your site breathing room. This improves comprehension, helps lead the eye to the important parts of your site, and even gives an air of luxury to it!
Bonus – Do: Get in touch with Strathcom
For additional advice on anything pertaining to Web Design, we recommend touching base with Strathcom Media before you start experimenting too much…
