Design and development go together, and in a digital landscape where consumers look at both features and the overall appeal of a brand – your business should stay ahead and be at the forefront when it comes to helping the user navigate through – ultimately enriching their experience.
Figures tell us that the design of a website or an app defines the experience from the very start and is a breaking point, the first glimpse. Over 59% of users prefer going through a well-designed website that reflects the business’s core message.
And from a business perspective, you need to reflect on consumer practices and see what works. These days, with rapid growth all around, you need to align audience preferences first and foremost.
UX design is an ongoing process where there will be ideations all year round, and your website will go through updates far too often – take it as a positive sign and keep your business on top by keeping up with the latest trends.
Keep reading as we help you navigate through. Learn the essentials of web design and upscale your business.
1. A Clean Homepage
What is the page you land on when you open a website? In most cases, that’s a homepage. And the homepage is supposed to be a core reflection of the business’s values and what it stands for. To retain a customer and lead them to complete an action, you need to sort out the look of the homepage.
Depending on your objectives, we suggest you keep a balance between CTAs and try to let the central message of the business stay intact. To develop a rough idea and communicate the message to Web Development NJ companies later – you need to build a hierarchy where the headline is defined first, and the rest (body, CTAs, brand images, contact information) follows up later.
Define the brand and what it stands for, then market your products or services. Do not oversaturate the homepage with everything. Figure out what your audience wants and how it aligns with business goals. Add relevant testimonials and CTAs.
2. Easy to Digest Content
Do not underestimate the content step. When discussing design, content is a defining pillar and helps users complete intended actions and understand the business. To ensure that the right message gets delivered and the brand voice and tone define the website’s look – your content should be aligned accordingly.
Develop an outline where you document words and phrases that fit your brand persona and reflect what you are trying to depict. And keep the content simple and readable. For a business that appeals to widespread audiences – we suggest a Grade 7 readability tone.
And to fit with website alignments, keep the right contrast between text, color background, and navigation boxes – all of this certifies an impactful web design.
Go through different fonts and see how the letters should fit in. In most cases, a 16pt body text works for most websites but know if it fits with your brand image.
And sort content out for different pages according to the customer’s journey. While maintaining an engaging content outlook, the tone should keep evolving.
3. Flawless Navigation
Is the website always unclear? Difficult navigation? No clear guideline in place? Do things differently and better by creating a website with a clean interface in place with easily digestible information all around.
The go-to practice would be to include clickable logos on the homepage and later list down separate menus; it can be a dropdown or anything.
For example, A digital transformation company would ideally include detailed menus – services, solutions, location, portfolio, insights, and more. Add details in each menu, and every page should lead to another until the objective is met.
Menus should be on the homepage, allowing customers to find them instantly. Ensure you add relevant CTAs, clickable icons (social media), or contact information. Also, do not overlook the footer. It might be at the bottom of the website, but in the end, when a user scrolls by quickly, the page will stop at the footer.
When you consult Houston app developers or other development teams to create navigation outlines, emphasize the website footer and include necessary information there.
4. Mobile Support
Customers are everywhere, and most of them are hooked to their phones. In a room, 4 out of 5 consumers use the smartphone to either view businesses or make an online purchase. Designing and optimizing your website for desktop users to perceive is an outdated practice in a digital landscape.
Consumers research on their phones, and that is their default shopping medium. You need to target this set of audiences and align your marketing strategy accordingly.
Start with a clear-cut mobile interface; both iOS and Android applications should be easily navigable and understandable. On a smartphone, there is less space, so you need to adjust design dimensions and include essential elements only.
Despite the lack of space, shorter content and vertically defined designs would create an effortless experience for constantly on-the-go customers. And you would require fewer resources at this stage.
5. Integrated Visual Design
Before you go ahead with any design, talk it out with the design and development team. And business strategists should provide an overview that will help reflect the main objective. When we talk about design hierarchy, it is about prioritizing visitors and adjusting elements accordingly to that order.
When preparing a rough blueprint idea, plan the website layout and how element dimensions and their placement would be theoretically defined. Visuals are essential, and established marketers tell us that a well-defined design theory in practice differentiates high-end brands from mediocre brands.
Final Thoughts
Web development in NJ or around the globe is currently thriving due to the ever-increasing demand for businesses going digital. And you can always get in touch with a team of developers and designers to craft your website – but honestly, we suggest you do thorough research first.
Research and development (R&D) is any business’s first phase, and the case applies here too. Learn different web design practices and get inspired. Not everything has to be included; pick pointers and include ideas that align with goals.
