Top 10 Principles of Effective Web Design

The importance of maintaining an interactive website with an appealing web design has often been understated. Consequently, most people fall into the trap of neglecting the opportunities that a good website design can bring to their business. People need to keep in mind that a functional website with robust usability and operating structure performs better on search engines. Performance is what influences engagement. Engagement demonstrates the effectiveness of the website.

The following are the top 10 web design principles required to develop an effective website:

1.   Purpose

Even an appealing website becomes ineffective when it does not have a clear vision or purpose in sight. After all, it is the first thing that motivates your audience to navigate your website. Hence, your web designer should make that purpose clear by implementing a clear outlook of web design principles. This will ensure that your users and visitors have a clear vision in mind when they visit your website. Purpose is what builds an ideal brand-client relationship.

2.   Communication

People prefer easy accessibility. They want readily available information, which is why it is important to create a web page that’s easy to navigate. Your web service can enhance that communication if you use attention-grabbing call-to-actions that will bring them to what they’re looking for. You can also include headlines and subheadlines, bullet points and catchy phrases instead of longer sentences.

3.   Images

A picture is worth a thousand words. Selecting the right type of images will allow your website to attract your target audience and position your brand strongly. It is best to add high-quality infographics, graphs, and videos to ensure better engagement. By using these design elements, you can create a balance between the white space and negative space in your website. Doing so will make these design principles more visible and user-friendly.

4.   Colors

Colours can create adequate balance and harmony. Contrasting colours that fit the background and text will be aesthetically pleasing and catch the interest of the user. It will take a proficient designer to ensure that the colour schemes are just right without being too extreme. In doing so, the designer must know how to employ the visual hierarchy in each visual element to your website.

5.   Navigation

The structure of a website depends upon its navigation. If a user does not understand the mechanism of your website, they won’t hesitate to leave. To enhance your navigation system, your designer will have to set up a mechanism that explains the elements on the page more clearly. In doing so, he can use the principles of hick’s law to assist the decision-making process of the user when navigating through your website. Keep in mind that creating a user-friendly website is crucial in boosting your traffic and revenue.

6.   “F” Pattern Design

Studies have shown that people scan an “F” pattern computer screens more often. They prefer to see the top and left of the screen rather than the right side. This is why most web designers will design your website with adequate screen sizes that help it to be more visually appealing to the viewers.  More importantly, it will ensure that the users interact with the website longer than usual.

7.   Quality Content

The content of your website is what will drive your marketing efforts. Aside from using varying image sizes to make your website more visually appealing, you also need to focus on the written text on your website. You need to formulate and implement informative and engaging content that will elaborate your goals and create interest amongst your users. This way, you can also ensure that your traffic will always be on par with your competitors.

8.   Mobile Friendly

In terms of accessibility, web designers should also consider the device that most people use when browsing through the internet. As time passes, the usage of mobile devices to access websites has become standardised and mainstream. This is why you must keep up with the changing preferences and create a mobile-friendly website.

9.   Readability

The written text in your website serves as a vital component in terms of business information. You can use varying font sizes to help your viewers distinguish the emphasis of each term and keyword on your website content. Remember that apart from the meta-data, keywords, and SEO utilisation, your website needs to be easy to read for your users; otherwise, they will lose interest.

10.  User Experience (UI)

As people become more adept with technology, their attention span also decreases. As you might have noticed, users despise having to wait more than a minute for a web page to load. As much as possible, they prefer that it takes a few seconds instead. Hence, you need to ensure that each important element of the website is properly integrated. Through cautious integration, you will be able to create an exceptional user experience.