7 things to consider when designing your new website

Web design is a complex subject.

Everyone has an opinion about what constitutes good web design and what doesn’t and quite often those opinions reflect that persons background or role and neglect to consider the most important element in the whole process, the target audience.

Generally speaking, there are only three reasons any business would want a website:

1. Online presence that builds confidence with their existing and prospective clients
2. Generate Leads
3. Ecommerce

One of the huge benefits in web design is that your website can be constantly evolving and improving based on market changes and analytics feedback so with that said here a 7 things to consider when designing your new website

Target Audience
With any form of visual marketing its very easy to fall into a trap of designing what we like personally and websites are no different. It is important to remember that your target audience must come first, what will they expect to find on your website? What problems do they have and how can we help solve them.

Fonts
Consider the font you are using and how legible it is. For example, calligraphy might be great for your logo but will visitors to your site want to strain to read a blog in that font? Also consider the size of your font it is recommended headlines are 18px – 41px and body text is between 15px – 35px. Finally consider the colour in particular the contrast between the background and the font itself, make sure it is clear and easy to read.

Purpose
Why do you want a website and what are you hoping to achieve by having one? Have the answer to these questions at the forefront of your mind when contemplating each page as they should all be aligned towards your business goals and designed to move your prospect along a journey to becoming a lead and then client.

Call to action (CTA)
In case you are unfamiliar with the term “call to action” a very basic illustration of this concept in web design is the contact page on your website where the call to action is typically a button that reads “contact us”. Calls to action work better when they are specific and in a message that resonates with the target audience’s problem. An example of a  good call to action for a home improvement business might be “book a design visit”, a car showroom might use “value my car” or “book a test drive”  while an accountant might use “book a free tax saving evaluation”

Information overload
It is tempting to load your website with piles of information about everything your business can do. Unfortunately, this typically overwhelms visitors to your website and can cause them to leave in search of a solution specific to their needs. Keep your information clear, targeted and concise. Remember the 80/20 rule and focus on that 20% of your offer.

Mobile Optimisation
5 years ago responsive website design sometimes known as mobile optimised websites were a luxury. Today more than 50% of web traffic (and rising) comes from a mobile device so if your website doesn’t work or is not user friendly on mobile devices you’re losing business, simple as that.

Collect Emails
Approximately 50% of visitors to your website are interested in your type of product or service but not ready to make a purchasing decision which is why obtaining their email address to follow them up with valuable content is key in delivering your message and ensuring your business is front of mind when they come to making a purchasing decision. Your website design therefore should consider the mechanisms available you will use to collect email addresses; this can be as simple as “sign up to our newsletter” tab.