Staying relevant isn’t an easy feat these days. There are tips to create an engaging website, however, it is challenging to know just where to look! From concepts such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and the importance of structure elements to generate traction, this is a great place to start. Aside from keeping an eye on your competitors, there are many a way to boost your presence in the online realm and there has never been a better time to give it a start!
Website design is extremely important for various reasons. According to one survey, 94% of users highlighted that the reason they didn’t trust a website was due to its overall design. An aesthetic and seamless website generates more online traffic. A user-friendly interface also increases lead generation and eventual conversions for an engaging website design.
While creativity and functionality are crucial, there are some fundamental principles of design and user experience that you should follow if you want your website to stand out. These elements ensure not only more visitors landing on your site, but make sure that they stay long enough to trust the content and try the products or services on offer.
Things to Consider
As a business or individual, there are a few things to know about how to create an engaging website design. These factors are vital to consider before the design process can begin. There are billions of websites on the internet but only a handful show up on the first page of Google, which is where most people will learn about it. Standing out requires time and investment in areas like understanding the target market and SEO.
Know Your Audience
The World Wide Web is extensive. People are searching for information, products and services on it every second. However, as a business, you have a specific target market. People falling beyond this circle should be irrelevant and all the data and content on your site should be directed towards engaging the audience that you want to attract. This step is crucial as it drives relevant traffic towards the platform.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is probably the first and most important thing that a website has to consider. Subtle hints for it need to be made part of the design process for engaging website design. Being able to rank on the first page of Google is the ultimate victory as a significant chunk of visitors will never go to the second page. As it stands then, SEO should be taken seriously from the beginning.
That being said, let’s start discussing some of the elements that facilitate the process of how to create an engaging website. Keep the following tips in mind while you create or redesign your website.
Design Elements That Build Trust
The field of digital design has embraced simplicity, putting less emphasis on bells and whistles and more on the fundamentals. This has improved user experience on websites by making it simpler for users to navigate. The easier it is for users to locate the information they want, the more time they will spend on a website. The longer a site can retain visitors, the more trust a business will build.
Here are eight tips to create a trust building website:
1. Go with an Aesthetic yet Simple Layout
The best option of all is to go with a simple design of your website. It needn’t be dull, but it should concentrate on the most important things. Your site will load faster and be simpler to use across a variety of platforms and devices if it has a simple, straightforward layout. The appropriate products, services and general information needs to be front and center so that visitors can easily land upon the things they want.
2. Simplify Navigation Throughout the Website
Make your website simple to navigate if you want visitors to stay on it for a while. While it may be tempting to use creativity in the design of your navigation menus, simplicity and clear information architecture are more crucial. Make your menus uniform in their look to make readers more at ease as they browse your website. An engaging website design is always one where different pages and menus are hassle-free to scroll through.
3. Integrate Clear Calls to Action (CTAs)
What actions do you want website visitors to take? Buy things? Subscribe to a newsletter through email? Give to a good cause? Considering your call to actions, incorporate them in such a way that they will be noticeable to a visitor who is scanning your website. Make sure the text on any buttons in your design is succinct and straightforward. Have support chats available on each page with addresses and phone numbers clearly mentioned as well.
4. With Website Content, Crisp Website Copy Works Best
Utilize your knowledge of visitors to reduce their selections and direct them toward your offerings with excellent website copy. Only display the content and graphic components that will encourage them to take action. Many mobile app websites are really good at doing this. They emphasize describing the app and provide compelling calls to action to download it. Less significant content, such as their blog and About section, is less noticeable and is linked at the bottom.
5. Don’t Be Afraid of Blank Spaces
White space on a page is just bare space. It only needs to be devoid of any text or graphics; it need not truly be white. If done correctly, it can simplify your website design and increase readability. White space can also assist in focusing and directing attention. Instead of forcing visitors to visually sort through a busy and noisy layout, it offers a technique to segregate features and concepts so they can quickly identify what you want them to view.
The best example of using whitespace is Google. Just a blank page with a logo and a search box—it couldn’t be simpler.
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Original article published on norakramerdesigns.com
