More than ever, 2020 has pushed every organization and company to the digital platform as much as possible. Any business that still has not developed a solid approach to an Internet presence is likely struggling trying to find markets that have been disappearing due to social distance and a complete foundational change to how consumers behave now. As a result, having a good website design can make a big difference in modern business success now.
Web Design Versus Being on the Web
While most people have a pretty good understanding of why an Internet presence is needed, what it takes to build one in terms of web design is another story. Some folks see a website form they like and try to copy the same. Some assume right from the start they will need outside help to get things set up. Others try to manage the matter in-house with their own staff and skillset. What this produces is a rainbow of understanding but not much in the way of best practice approaches. The fact is, good web design does have specific elements that should be followed no matter whether one is government, business, a non-profit, or other. It’s more about helping readers find what they are looking for quickly and easily versus just posting product or service information alone.
Basic Buildup
Every website has basic elements that are a must before getting into further development. That includes a solid structure, clean code, a sound overall image design, and easy to find meta information so the site can be tracked by search engines. From here the website then gets into additional developments such as ongoing content flow creation, brand image, multimedia leveraging, and similar. However, even just sticking to these elements can still create mistakes that cause a website to flutter or stumble in practice. The following key elements explain why.
A Site Needs to be Fundamentally Simple
Too often the temptation is to load up a website with a ton of information, i.e. turning it into a library of sorts. This is a mistake with the best intentions. Site owners want their readers to have as much information as possible, but in doing so they create a maze that becomes hard to navigate. A simple site provides multiple key benefits readers want. First, it loads fast. Nobody wants to be waiting 10 minutes for a site to fully load. Second, it’s easy to move around and find one’s way quickly. Good navigation is essential. Sites that navigate more like an esoteric database simply fail in their basic purpose. Third, images used need to be compressed and designed for quick loading. Many folks aren’t aware of this design requirement and load images and videos that create major loading problems. By removing clutter and focusing on speed, sites perform far better and effective in delivering their message.
Be Different, It’s Okay
Many folks who have no idea what to do with a site find the first site they really like and copy. It’s easy to do. One just grabs the source code and uses that as a template to build their own web page. However, it’s not a unique approach. Take some time to think about a unique look that helps your company’s brand and appearance look different and special. It’s worth the effort and helps you stand out in a crowd in the digital world.
Anticipate Readers with Different Hardware
Not everyone has a four-foot-wide curved screen. Many use tablets or phones, others have clunky old screens, and still, others are using TVs. Adjust your web design to read and anticipate the hardware a user is working with via dynamic website design. This feature allows a website to adjust to the tool being used, which makes it easier again for your readers to focus on your information versus difficulties with the Internet. Mobile Internet has proven to be far more powerful than the traditional Internet, so your design should incorporate this fact.
Don’t Get Frustrated
Whether you utilize help for Atlanta web design from outside or focus on a website build yourself, good web design takes time. You will easily go through a number of iterations to make things work. The first design probably won’t be the best or the only one your business should stick with either. Anticipating that your design will evolve over time makes it easier to try new features and learn what works best for your needs. Focus on improving the design versus trying to be perfect the first time out, and you will realize far better results overall.
