Web Design That's In Your Best Interest

Websites are vital to the success of a business, but what makes a website successful? Here are six key considerations for website design.

Security

First of all, your website needs to be secure for both yourself and your users. Any data you provide or collect must be kept absolutely secure, and if you have login information, then that's all the more important. Ask experts what is ssl and https, and which is better for your website. If you have a secure log-in system, make sure it is truly secure with two-factor authentication or other security measures.

Accessibility

That said, you always want your website to be accessible. That means making sure that is hosted on servers that are secure to reduce downtimes, but it goes beyond that. Consult with experts in design to make sure that your website is accessible to the visually impaired, the colorblind and those who are accessing your website on slower connections or via mobile. A significant part of the US does not have reliable high-speed internet, so it's important to account for those differences when you're building a website. Mobile connections are also often less strong, and many users will likely want to access your website from a mobile platform.

User Friendliness

Mobile-friendliness is a facet of user-friendliness. People won't use a website that's hard to use. If the links are unclear or broken then they'll give up and use something else. If you have to go through three steps where just one would be better, then you've built a bad website. Extensive testing, as well as consultation with web design professionals, can help to ensure that your website is as user-friendly as possible. However, with that in mind, here are three points that break down the basics of user friendly website design.

Simplicity

First of all, don't overcrowd your website with too much information. You want a website to be clean and easy to read and that means a clean and easy-to-read design. This sounds easy, but it's not as simple as you might think. It's tempting, because you know the material so well, to include every detail right there on the front page of your website, but when people see a big block of text, their eyes tend to glaze over. Go for simple and short over long and detailed, every time. If you must include longer text, put it behind a link or under a dropdown of some kind.

Balance

Just as important as simplicity is balance. Too much empty space looks unfinished, too much text looks impenetrable. Not enough pictures and images look boring and empty, but too many graphics look busy and overcrowded. Balance and simplicity is what sets a professional looking website apart from a more amateurish offering. Again, you may want to consult a professional, or at the very least brush up on the basic principles of design to help make your website look balanced and professional while still communicating your priorities clearly.

Prioritize

How do you choose what content to include and what content to leave out? Set priorities. What will your website be used for, first and foremost? What do you want your website visitors to see right away when they click on your page? Whatever it is, it belongs in the top left corner of your website. People tend to read websites the same way they read a book: from left to right, starting at the top. Whatever ends up in the bottom right hand corner of your site is likely to be overlooked, so keep that in mind when you're setting priorities and creating your design.

Your website is vitally important to the success of your business. It just makes sense to do everything you can to make sure that your website is secure, accessible and user friendly, but it's just as important to keep your design simple and balanced so that your business priorities are nice and clear.