It might be easy to say that the website is only about the appearance of the website. The truth is that it goes beyond the face value of the page. There are certain rules to follow for the website to be more appealing. These rules are also useful in making sure that the page will rank higher in search engines. Ignoring these rules could lead to a disaster. Instead of enticing potential customers, they will end up looking for other options. The good thing is that with the help of a web design company, it’s easier to figure out what to do for the website to stand out. These are the rules to consider in designing the homepage of a website.
Table of Contents
Remove annoying features
There are certain features that will annoy users. One of them is the appearance of a pop-up window each time the users leave or enter the site. Even if the user stays within the website but decides to move to a new tab, these pop-ups will appear again. No one is special enough in closing this feature. Instead of further browsing the page, the user will decide to leave.
Another annoying feature is the background music. No one wants to listen to music while browsing a website. Those who want to listen to songs are probably doing it before opening the website. The background music will only interfere with what they’re listening to. Therefore, it’s not helpful. I think that the possibility that the additional file will slow down the loading of the webpage.
Navigating the page should be easy
Another way to make the website more convenient to use is by making it easier to navigate. When there are too many tabs to go through before finding specific information, the user will probably close the website. Even the tabs shouldn’t be too many. Limit the number of pages within the website so that it will be a lot easier to navigate.
Choose appealing colours
There was a time when web designers working for a web design companywill only choose safe and neutral colors when designing a website. The reason is that the colors will appeal to anyone. It doesn’t matter who will visit the website. No one will get turned off by these safe colors. The problem is that they also don’t appeal to the specific demographic group. If the potential buyers belong to a specific group, and bold colors appeal to them, they are worth using. As long as the rules of contrast are followed, there’s nothing wrong with using different colors. It’s also crucial not to overwhelm users with different shades. Consider using the official brand colors for easy recall.
Another way to play with colors is by using something striking for the call to action. A background color that is bright enough for people to see will make it easier for users to click on the call to action button to do the next step.
Make it easier to contact the company
Although it’s good to have a separate contact page, the summary of the contact information should be available on the homepage. It’s easier for potential buyers to communicate with the business when the contact information is easy to access. Some of them have questions regarding the products and services offered. Others may decide to buy if they already receive answers to these questions. If it’s difficult to keep in touch with the business due to the lack of information, the users will decide against buying. It would be a terrible loss.
White space is important
Some web designers are afraid of white spaces. For them, it indicates a lack of creativity and ideas. The truth is that every homepage needs to have white space. It’s the chance for the user to take a break after receiving information. White spaces will also highlight certain parts of the website. Again, the call to action needs to have nothing close to it. This button will be easier to notice if only white spaces are in its surrounding.
Prioritize the most important information
The most important information should be available on the homepage right away. Users shouldn’t dig through the website before they can get this detail. For instance, if there’s an upcoming promotion, it helps if the summary is available on the homepage. Further details are available by clicking some buttons, but you certainly don’t have time to explore and will already get the gist. Other details that aren’t too important can go to a different page. If the website uses blogs as a digital marketing strategy, there could be an entirely different site just for them. People who have more time to read blogs can go to the page by clicking the link.
The content should be concise and easy to read
Again, people visiting the website don’t have enough time to explore every page. Some of them are in a hurry. It helps if the content is short and easy to understand. It should also be free from jargon and technical terms. Consider the target audience when writing the content. It should be easy enough for them to get the right information.
Give them a reason to come back
Another important feature of a web design is that it gives you such a reason to come back. Apart from content that tells people to buy certain products and services, it should also be other details that they can use. If the products are related to the health industry, health advice should be available on the website. Those who decided not to purchase the items now might decide to come back later to read more useful information. In the process, they may decide to buy the products sold.
Use the right images
The pictures should be attractive and appealing. Avoid using stock photos since they don’t appeal to anyone. If people see these images copied from other websites, they might feel turned off. They might not even see themselves as the target audience because of the inappropriate images used. Capture the pictures of real models using the products since it will be more appealing to the audience. They can relate to the pictures and realize that the products are for them.
Test the page first
After designing the website, the job isn’t over yet. It’s important to test the page to ensure that it’s running well. If there are delays, they need to get fixed first. If the website loads too slowly, certain elements need to get removed from the page. The website can’t continue in its current form if there are significant problems. It doesn’t matter how many times changes have to happen. As long as these issues are no longer present once the website goes live, it’s okay.
Learn from the mistakes
After going through the website, it’s still possible to commit mistakes. The good thing is that there’s always an opportunity to improve the website. Learn from other websites and determine what made them more successful. These strategies might also be useful in improving the current web design. Replicating other websites isn’t necessary, but there are lots of ideas to learn from them.
A web design company will help
There are plenty of rules to consider in web design. Some of them can be confusing and overwhelming. Small business owners who don’t have enough employees might have difficulty determining how to design the website. Hence, asking for help from a web design company is a better alternative. It’s a cost-effective solution to this problem. Experts working for the web design company understand the rules in web design. They can also use strategies that will make the page even more appealing.
