Designing a Website: 7 Most Important Factors to Consider

Sitemap – structure

Before starting the design, it is best to make the correct structure (map) of it. It is very important to design a good structure, this is so that users would not be confused with the content and topics that are created. The map should be branched out from top to bottom, from the top, as the home page, and down to other categories, so that everything has some logical meaning and so that the information on the site flows incorrect order.

Clean Design

One of the most important things to remember during the process of website development is to create a clean, appealing design. A quality design is attractive and easy to read with intuitive navigation. Most importantly, a clean design helps viewers focus on the value of your brand and content instead of distracting graphics and large amounts of text. Often, customers associate website designs with the quality of a particular company or product. Hence, a clean design is vital to providing a positive user experience that encourages customers to return.

Navigation

If your website is difficult to move around, users are easily not attracted to your website and could never return. Increasing inefficiency and aesthetics of your website navigation can enable users to do an in-depth review as a new visitor. One way to improve a visitor’s ability to navigate your site easily (and help search engines crawl your site) is to add a site map. Furthermore, streamlining navigation by eliminating unnecessary or underperforming pages may decrease load time while improving the quality of your brand’s online presence of your website.

Usability

Websites that are easy to use are more likely to gain customer interest and encourage business. Usability can be increased by displaying product and service information in a clear, concise manner. Make sure your website has all the features a customer would need for the site to be easily accessible. If a viewer is reading your blog and wants to subscribe to an email newsletter, do they have to hunt for the opt-in form? Is your contact information clearly displayed? Does the layout of your website encourage social sharing and further interaction with your brand? These key elements are essential to review when optimizing the usability of your site.

Call to Action

Placing calls to action on your website encourages customers to contact your business. A friendly suggestion, such as “Reach out to us today!” shows that your business wants to develop a relationship with its customers. It’s important that calls to action are appropriate for a visitor’s level of engagement with your company. If they’re just discovering your brand, invite them to subscribe to your email newsletter. If they’re already a loyal customer, perhaps they’ll enjoy participating in your brand’s loyalty rewards program. Regardless of what you’re asking visitors to do at your site, always include a call to action at least once on each page.

Content

Users are very picky. Even if your webpage is easily accessible, functions well work quickly and looks great, they still won’t be pleased unless you have compelling and engaging content on your site. Content marketing plays a major role in any company’s advertising campaign. People much prefer video content overwritten, which is why content video views have exceeded 50 billion views per month.

Integration with Social Media

Integration with social media is no longer a novelty – it’s a requirement. As technology makes information sharing more convenient, businesses lacking social media integration fail to take advantage of what has been likened to modern-day word-of-mouth advertising. Social media provides a venue in which customers can promote your brand, provide reviews, and stay in the know about your company’s latest news. Written and visual content, including product images and branded video, are easily distributed on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn with the addition of social sharing buttons on your website.