Websites, when designed correctly, are an invaluable asset to a business. They provide a company with an avenue to showcase its products and services to new and potential customers.
A lot of planning, research, and technical knowledge are involved in creating an effective website.
The development is based on the type of business and the products offered by the company. However, some essential elements must be present on the website to ensure its successful launching. Below are several examples.
Landing Page
A landing page is the first page that users see when they visit a website. With the ever-decreasing attention span of most people while using the internet, your landing page has a limited time to make a good impression.
The page should contain a brief description of the business, the products and services being offered, and any other benefits that make the company’s offerings stand out.
At a glance, new visitors should be able to deduce what your business is all about. Avoid cramming a lot of information into the landing page, as doing so might discourage people from checking other pages on your site.
Navigation
The website should not be so complex that visitors have difficulty going from one page to another.
Have a menu icon at the top left or right corner that stays there irrespective of the user’s page. Include all main pages of the website, especially the homepage, so users can easily find their way on the site.
Include a site map featuring all the pages on the site divided into sections and include clickable links.
Visitors should be able to find any information they are looking for without going through loads of unneeded information.
Spacing
The proper use of space allows people to take in information effectively and can make a difference in a website’s conversion rate.
Put adequate spacing between lines of text and ensure that paragraphs are sufficiently separated.
A bold and highlighted sentence surrounded by blank space will draw the eye and have more impact than if it was crammed in the middle of other text.
Adequate spacing gives your website a clean feel that will prompt users to continue to use the site.
Fonts
There is nothing wrong with using creative fonts and characters to make your website look interesting.
However, it is important not to go overboard and keep things as simple as possible. Use fonts that are easy to read and tie in well with the general theme of the website.
Ensure to use no more than two or three fonts across all the pages to promote a seamless feel on the site.
Keep flamboyant font styles to a minimum, or avoid using them entirely as you do not want to distract from your message.
Branding
The design of your website should adequately reflect your business and brand. Use a logo creator to successfully showcase your business.
Be sure to use colors and graphics that translate well to all forms of media, both virtual and print.
Visitors to your site should make an instant visual connection between your unique logo and your business offerings.
Devote sufficient time and planning to the general aesthetic of your website and try to keep it consistent across all channels, including social media pages to make your brand easy to recognize.
Search Bar
The search bar serves as a shortcut, allowing users to get the information they need with a single click.
This element is beneficial, especially if your website has a lot of content. Place the space bar in a conspicuous area such as the header and the footer of the pages. Put appropriate keywords and tags on every page to make them easy to find.
Content
A website is nothing without valuable and relevant content. Depending on the nature of your business, the content of a website should clearly showcase the site’s purpose.
All main pages, such as the “About us” or “Contact us” page, should feature the necessary information.
Policy pages should be written with simple terms that are easy to comprehend by the average reader.
The blog section should have enough posts on relevant topics. Use only high-quality images that correspond with your offerings and include product descriptions and pictures that display your goods’ accurate colors and sizes.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO deals with how a website is ranked on search engines and how visible it is. A good SEO strategy helps your site rank high on search engines, increasing traffic to your website.
Conduct adequate research on relevant keywords and tags for your niche and include them on your web pages.
Use title tags and meta descriptions that contain essential information about your website that will draw people in.
Call To Action Buttons
A call to action prompts your visitors to take any action; this could be signing up, purchasing a product or service, or downloading an app.
Create a designated button that links the user to the needed page and place it at various strategic areas on the website.
Make the buttons distinct from the standard text through the use of color, space, or fonts. Use a strong and concise statement such as “Buy Now” or “Create an Account.”
Device Compatibility
People use the internet through various devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and desktops.
Therefore, your website should be designed to function optimally on all devices. Take account of different screen sizes and browsers when designing your site.
Ensure that the content and navigation looks and works the same way on different devices. The site speed must be fast, with images loading fully within seconds of loading the website.
