In the nearly 25+ years since the advent of the internet, we have seen our share of well-designed and not so well-designed websites. We have certainly come a long way from the days of the 1990s user interface, but now and then we still stumble upon those sites that look like they haven’t been touched since 1995 (for some giggles, check out what the first-ever website looked like here.)
While it seems like website design trends change almost as often as fashion trends, there are a couple of elements that are important to a well-designed website.
Let’s list them out here:
- Organization: A well-designed, intuitive website should be well organized, with content following a certain flow. Important information for the user, such as company services and contact information, should be visible and easy to find.
- Website Speed: It should be fast, with information loading up quickly and easily. There are a number of factors that influence this, including number of graphics and server speed. If your website does have large graphics files, be sure your website host is accommodating for this.
- Clear Navigation: How are your customers navigating through the website? Are the pages titled clearly and logically? All menus, whether located on the homepage or on subsequent pages, should be labeled clearly.
- Mobile Friendly: This is a no-brainer in today’s world. With over 50 percent of website traffic being directed from mobile phones and tablets, a well-designed, responsive mobile site needs to engage the visitor quickly in order to drive conversions and sales. It needs to be readable across all devices.
- Color and Type: The visual elements such as color and type are critical to a readable, attractive website, and does usually fall under branding. In general, use contrasting colors for the text and background so it’s legible, and use readable font that works across all devices. Consult with a professional website designer on the best colors and typefaces to use for your company’s brand.
Interested in getting a website developed for your company? Please contact us at info@edkandcompany.com or call us at 818.488.1543 for more info.