Whether you’re designing your first website or redesigning an existing one, it’s too easy to focus on the site’s visuals and forget about its functionality and usability. But user experience is an element that really shouldn’t be taken lightly. Here are some eye-opening figures to show just how much UX matters:
- 52% of web visitors say they will leave if the website takes longer than three seconds to load.
- 88% of online shoppers shared that they won’t return to a website after having had a bad user experience.
- 67% of visitors on mobile are more likely to purchase if they enjoy the user experience that the website offers them.
UX is one large chunk of the website wheel – but another is that your website is the most common representation of your brand today. Most people Google a brand and are expected to find its website in seconds. It’s a way of life – and ensuring that your website makes a good first impression on visitors is crucial to your conversions and reputation.
A recent report from Top Design Firms showed that 50% of the consumers participating in the survey felt that website design is a vital element of a company’s overall brand.
There’s no doubt that website design is a fundamental part of your business. In this article, we’ll share some website design best practices and review which functional features Mastera takes care of, so you can get your premium website up and running in no time.
In this article:
- What is Web Design?
- Website Design Best Practices:
- Functional features
- Navigation
- Site Structure
- User Experience
- Mastera’s Built-In Web Design Optimization Features
- Visual features
- Imagery
- Typography or Fonts
- Copy
- Color Scheme
- Layouts and White Spaces
- Functional features
What is Web Design?
Web design refers to the process of conceptualizing, planning, arranging, and uploading content online.
In today’s world, designing a website includes mobile apps, web apps, and traditional websites. Web design includes everything from the aesthetic to the functionality of the site.
Website Design Best Practices
Before signing up with your preferred web design software, pick up a pen and notepad. That’s right – time to plan.
A website is more than a few images, text, and buttons on each page. Your small business website should be telling a story about you, your business, what inspires you, and what you offer to visitors.
There are a few website elements that you should be focusing on. These elements each have website design best practices to adhere to, which we’ll be sharing here.
Website elements are divided into two categories:
- Functional features
- Visual features
Site Structure: Your site structure should be simple for visitors to use and navigate through. They should not be lost while browsing your site. To avoid this, ensure that your navigation is simple and structure your web pages into main menu and sub-menu items.
Source: UX Booth
User Experience: How does a visitor interact with your site? What happens if they scroll, click, or type? A top web design should have minimal interactions so that visitors aren’t distracted when browsing, finding information, or completing a form. Here are some examples of what you can do to create a solid user experience:
- Limit the number of pop-ups on your site.
- Do not auto-play a video that has background audio in it.
- Ensure that your imagery looks good on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
- Ensure that product, member, and contact information is easily accessed.
- Do not use unnecessary animations on graphics.
Mastera’s Built-In Web Design Optimization Features: You may have heard about a few other technical elements that need some attention when designing a site. These include aspects such as load speed, browser compatibility, and device compatibility. The good news is that Mastera is already optimized to have your site load in seconds and give your users the best experience when they first view your website – no matter what device or browser they’re using. At Mastera, our customers get to focus on the branding, aesthetics, text, and fonts while we take care of the fundamental SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and UX (User Experience) requirements.
Visual Features
Imagery: Impactful imagery can make someone fall in love with your brand before they even read too much about your business. The trick is to choose imagery that all have a similar style, for example, the same photography style or the same illustration style. The great news is imagery doesn’t have to be expensive either. Use these free stock imagery sites for your web design needs:
Typography or Fonts: Fonts form a vital part of your site’s aesthetic. It also upholds the mood and personality of your brand. Be sure to choose a font that is easily readable for the user. Consider using Google Fonts for your site. The good news? Mastera has a full collection of Google Fonts included on the platform – they’re free, accessible, and won’t slow down your load speed.
Source: Google Fonts
Copy: What you say is what sticks with your visitors. But the power of a good web design lies in the marriage between text or copy and aesthetics. Here are a few ways to do this effectively:
- Chunk out your text so that it reads well.
- Pair your text with graphics and imagery that complement its contents.
- Use relatable images with your copy to enhance your message.
Color Scheme: If your branding is already complete, try to match your website color scheme to your brand. But if you’re starting from scratch or want to rebrand, consider colors and their meaning. For example, red is associated with power and strength, whereas blue is associated with stability and confidence. Here’s a breakdown to help you choose colors effectively:
Source: WordStream
Layouts and White Spaces: Arrange your content to ensure that your most important messages stand out on your web page. A good way of doing this is by using white space to your advantage. Using white space will help you declutter pages and help your site look modern and clean. Apple is a great example of a brand that uses white space very well:
How Mastera Can Help You Create Your Dream Site
Websites are the go-to space for potential customers, and there’s no doubt that you need to put some time and effort into your website design.
But with the help of online platforms like Mastera, you can create your website, online courses, and even sell merchandise to members. Mastera’s all-in-one solution lets you manage your online business in one place – giving you the convenience you deserve.
Ready to build your website on our integrated platform? Chat with us.
Co-Founder, Gleantap & Mastera