Everyone has an opinion on design, but unfortunately there is no room for error when it comes to designing your business website. Here is a look at some of the most common – and critical – errors to avoid when it comes to producing your new website.
A design That Doesn’t Support Navigation
Ultimately, all websites are designed for a purpose – typically anything from information sharing to the capture of customer sign-ups or full e-commerce. This means that design is part of an overall solution to achieve this objective and must support it. Good design will help the user to find what they are looking for and carry out the intended action. Design is different to art in this regard, and it is an important distinction. A designer will always be working to the site structure and specification and delivering a solution to achieve those goals. This is one reason that it is vital to use a professional web designer for your project.
A Design That Doesn’t Support SEO
Search engine optimisation is key to the success of your online assets and crucial for online marketing. A good design template will support the navigation structure and customer journeys. There is a great range of widely available templates to help with this, so designers don’t even need to start from scratch every time. This also saves the business money.
A Boring Design
A good website is memorable and often has a quirky, personal touch that is always on brand. A designer will use a colour palette that supports the brand and imagery that creates a positive impression in the customer’s mind. Bad websites tend to overuse stock imagery, and this often puts customers off. It is apparent when a stock image is out of context – customers like to see images that ring true and that they can believe in. Authenticity is key. Remember that good design is well thought through – designers will never use vast colour palettes or rainbow colours, and businesses should be careful to avoid these types of approaches, along with fonts that can look gimmicky or childish. When in doubt, simplicity is the best approach.
Text That Cannot Be Read
Readability is vital for a good website. Avoid using fancy fonts or serif fonts that can be difficult to read. Remember too that contrast is important – dark text on a light background is easiest to read, but light texts on images or colour backgrounds can be tricky to read, especially in light or fine font weights. Typography decisions are usually best left to a web designer as part of an overall design aesthetic. For web design in Newport, there are agencies that will manage your web design and build project end to end, allowing your business to enjoy being the client and feeding in requirements for the ultimate build. You’ll find plenty of expertise if you opt for help from agencies like Newport web designers http://www.netcentrics.co.uk/
So these are our top design errors to avoid, but there are certainly plenty of great case studies on the web to learn and gain inspiration from. What is your opinion of good and bad web design for business websites?