There’s so much business web design advice out there today that it’s shockingly easy to find two articles that contradict each other. When this happens, how should you know which one to trust? Here are our Top 10 Business Website Design Tips.
Top 10 Business Website Design Tips
- Find a trusted web partner
- Make your site mobile responsive
- Use WordPress
- Use simple yet straightforward navigation
- Keep publishing new content
- Add and feature social media buttons
- Don’t overwhelm users… embrace white space!
- Think about your SEO
- Take Security Seriously
- Monitor its performance; fix errors
We’ve organised a list of the best web design advice to help you have a solid understanding to reference back to.
Top 10 Business Website Design Tips
1. Find a trusted web partner
First and foremost, you need a trusted web partner that you can turn to for help. This is important for the maintenance and security of your site.
It starts with finding the right company that has people you can trust. Take this stage seriously because it’s irreversible in the long run.
2. Make your site mobile responsive
Responsive design uses a single URL for desktop and mobile sites. It adapts to the given screen size a user has, so the site always appears and functions the same.
Recent research conducted by Adobe includes the following statistics which demonstrate the need for responsive design:
- 39% of people will stop engaging with a website if images won’t load or take too long to load.
- Given 15 minutes to consume content, two-thirds of people would rather read something beautifully designed than something plain.
- 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content/layout is unattractive.
Responsive sites have great load times on all devices, are customisable, and engage users. They solve many of the problems businesses face in relation to web design.
3. Use WordPress
Millions of websites use WordPress for its simplicity and overall effectiveness. WordPress sites are particularly effective within the context of a marketing campaign.
A recent satirical AllBusiness.com article explains what you’d have to do to render a WordPress site ineffective:
“Okay. It’s easy. Simply make sure that your WordPress theme is never updated. Choose to build your business website on WordPress.com. Never moderate comments and embed only poorly coded plugins. These tactics and more will ensure that you are on the path to building an awful WordPress website nobody gives a fig about.”
In other words, you’d have to go out of your way for the site not to work. That’s how user-friendly WordPress is.
4. Use simple, yet straightforward navigation
Intuitive navigation is critical for keeping users on your site. Use menus, links, and search bars to structure your site in a way that’s easy to navigate.
5. Keep publishing new content
Businesses have to keep their site content fresh to get a good ranking on Google. Many keep a blog for this exact reason and to share original content with customers.
6. Add and feature social media buttons
According to holistic marketing, your website and social media profiles are interdependent. Use your social media pages to bring followers to your website, and add social media buttons on your site to attract new followers.
7. Don’t overwhelm users… embrace white space!
At some point, additional content, pictures, and site elements bring negative returns. When this happens, you should add white space so as not to overwhelm your users.
8. Think about your SEO
Search engine optimisation is important for getting a high-ranking site on Google. Keep things like title tags, internal and external links, header tags, and keywords in mind when planning your site.
9. Take Security seriously
WordPress websites are secure, but there are still a few things to look out for. Always keep your site updated and research plugins in-depth before incorporating them in your site.
10. Monitor its performance; fix errors
And finally, it’s important to monitor your site’s performance and fix any related problems. If you notice a picture or video slowing your load time, for example, you should remove it to optimise your user experience. Through a series of trial-and-error, you’ll keep your site fresh and functioning.
These tips are logical and backed by either studies, statistics, or experts. If you read something that contradicts them, then it should send up a red flag. To talk more about web design advice for businesses, or anything else, contact us today.
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