Since you are living in the digital age, your website is at the forefront of your marketing campaign. A well-designed website creates a favourable impression that determines whether potential visitors will become customers. Your website is the face of your brand, and it speaks volumes about your professionalism, quality, and customer service.
At the time of designing a website, you must keep your customers in mind. Put yourself in their shoe and think of what you would expect of a company as a buyer. Undoubtedly, you will have to hire an expert developer who will be able to create the best website design that caters to your goals.
If it costs you some money, you can take-out short-term loans from a direct lender with bad credit. However, use these loans only when you are certain about your repaying capacity.
Key website design rules that every entrepreneur should know
Here are the key website design rules that every entrepreneur should know:
§ Understand your audience
A website design is highly influenced by the choice of colours and fonts, but they are not the quintessential factors. First off, you should know who your target audience is.
ü What information do they need?
ü Is your website informative or an ecommerce website?
ü What problems are you trying to solve?
ü Is your target audience tech-savvy?
Knowing your audience inside out will help you come up with a stupendous design that actually serves the needs of your customers. Consider their age and browsing habits as well.
For instance, if your website is aimed at selling a technological gadget, not only will the design be responsive, but it will also be animated. An animated design includes moving images, graphics, and texts to improve customer experience. Such websites look extremely visually appealing, reflecting advanced technology.
§ Navigation
Navigation is another important factor that can make or break your website. Visitors should never be discombobulated while getting information from your website. They should be easily able to navigate from one page to another.
Most websites use a shallow website structure, as this helps users easily reach the desired page from the home page. You can also implement a logical hierarchy that groups similar pages. For instance, creating two subpages under the main page.
If users scroll to the bottom of the page and then move upward, ensure the banner reappears as they scroll up, so they can access a new product page without having to return all the way to the top.
§ Make use of white space
White space is the empty room between design elements. The significance of white space cannot be downplayed. Though it seems wasted space, it improves readability and draws attention to important elements. It helps introduce a sense of clarity and sophistication.
Cluttered websites are never appealing to users. They obscure important information. Multiple call-to-actions are a must in order to encourage users to take the desired action that you want them to, but they must stand out. This could be possible only when your website has efficiently utilised white space.
§ Colour choice
The colours you choose evoke emotional responses. They also communicate your brand personality. Make sure that you choose colours that reflect professionalism. Contrasting colours work better. They must be soothing and pleasant. Steer clear of lurid and bright colours.
ü If you are selling an eco-friendly product or promoting a net-zero lifestyle by providing information to your users, you should choose green as it represents the environment. You can choose other colours, such as sea green and sea blue, that go well with it.
ü If you are dealing in the finance field, the blue colour will be the perfect choice as it evokes trust. Blue colour displays professionalism and sophistication.
Since your landing page will have multiple call-to-action buttons, make sure that they are highlighted. Instead of a red banner, a call-to-action button should be red. This bright colour creates urgency. Limited offer and buy 2 get 1 free are sale-prompting phrases that must be assigned a different bright contrasting colour, so nobody fails to get their attention caught.
Choose three or four colours and make sure that you use them consistently throughout your website. Consistency is vital for brand awareness.
§ Responsiveness
Your website design should be responsive. It is no longer optional. A responsive web design enables your website to function on different devices, from computers to mobile phones. Do not forget that more than 80% of users make searches on their phones. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you will certainly lose a large number of potential clients.
A mobile-friendly website needs attention to content length and its display. The design elements you choose must be appropriate to mobile devices. If it looks hotch-potch, your users will not be willing to spend time on your website. Make sure that your website has a simplified navigation.
It does not matter which device your users are using; they must be getting an excellent experience. It is crucial to regularly test whether your website is working effectively on all devices. Additionally, pay attention to page load times. The faster your website loads, the better it is. It will keep the bouncing rate low. Sometimes, a website does not function because of some technical issues. Have them fixed as soon as possible; otherwise, your users will be frustrated. They will leave you to your competitors.
§ Strategic content placement
The most important information should appear above the fold. Some studies suggest that more than 75% of users spend their time viewing above-the-fold content. It is a good idea if you also place a call-to-action button there.
Content can be displayed on your website in either F or Z pattern. Most of the companies follow the Z pattern. It looks organised and serves the purpose of providing information at the top.
§ Place call-to-action buttons distinctively
Every page should have a call-to-action button, as you never know what will prompt users to make a purchase. It should be easily accessible. They must stand out, and every page must have multiple call-to-action buttons, so your users do not have to go all the way to it.
For instance, if you have created a landing page on a debt consolidation loan from a reputed lender, you can place:
ü one button on the banner aiming at those who directly want to fill in the application,
ü another button somewhere near the eligibility criteria,
ü and the third button at the end of the page. All these buttons will land to the application form.
Further, you should be creative while using a call-to-action. Do not repeat “apply now” throughout the page. You can use a variety of expressions such as “Get the quote”, “Check your eligibility”, and the like.
The bottom line
Your website design plays a crucial role in attracting users. If it is visually appealing and helps visitors easily navigate from one page to another, your chances of increasing sales are quite high.
Hire an expert who would understand your target audience and then decide which design would align with their needs. If it costs extra money, you should not hesitate to borrow money from direct lenders.
