The 10 Website Design Features That Drive Success
If you own a business, then one of the best things you can do to gain more clients or customers is by having your own website. However, not all websites are created the same. So, what distinguishes a great website from an average one? Simple: its features.
In this article, we break down the essential web design features that every great website needs. Ready? Let’s proceed:
Website Design Features of Effective Sites
Great websites share some things in common, such as these features we have listed down below. If you’re planning on making a website, make sure it has these items. And if you do have an existing website, check whether you missed anything on the list and have it fixed.
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Navigation
If your website isn’t easy to navigate, then there’s something wrong with it. Your visitors must know which part of the site they’re on and have easy access to the menu items at all times. You could also add a sitemap for their convenience. Ultimately, your web design navigation should focus on functionality.
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Content
Without content, your whole site would be pointless. Content plays a key part in every aspect of digital marketing, your website included. Make sure, then, that your website text is helpful, easily understandable, and concise.
All your content must be carefully thought out—from grammar to the keywords you’ll add and the way you arrange your information. When content is done right, your business can enjoy searches, more engagements, and more success.
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Visual Design
To say that people love visuals would be an understatement. With that said, you need to use eye-catching graphics to make your site visually appealing to your visitors. Remember, there are so many other websites out there. This means you only have a split second to capture your potential customers’ attention.
That is how important your website’s visual design is. However, you should avoid overdoing it. Flash intros, animation, and scrolling text can be too distracting and should, therefore, be used moderately.
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Search Engine Optimized
So, your website is beautifully designed and its content is stellar. That’s wonderful! But, all of that is pointless if your site isn’t search engine-friendly. How else can your potential customers find you?
Hence, you need to ensure your website has all the necessary meta keywords, alt text, focus keywords, and other SEO elements to rank well on Google and other search engines.
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Access to Information
Time is precious to your web visitors, so not all of them will have the time to browse through your whole site. They may just be looking for something specific, such as a service or a contact number.
This is why you need to put important information in a place that can easily be seen. You don’t want your visitors to feel frustrated or annoyed because they couldn’t find what they were looking for, right? Otherwise, they won’t visit your site again and, worse, become your customers.
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Intuitive
A great website is one step ahead of its visitors, meaning it can predict what their next move will be. Therefore, your website should be organized in a logical manner.
Let’s put it this way. If one of your website visitors searches for your product on Google, then you need to make sure your site has a landing page that is related to their search. Do not let them go through the hassle of browsing page after page just to find the information they need.
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Fast Load Time
This is an essential feature of any great website. Remember, your website visitors are busy people. If it takes longer than three seconds for a page to load, then they will likely leave and go to your competition instead.
You do not want to lose these potential customers, do you? So, what can you do if your website is a little slow? There are actually some things that can help.
One way would be to optimize your site’s image sizes. Since bigger files take a longer time to load, lowering the size and scale of certain images can help with your website’s load time. Another tip? Make your landing page redirects cacheable. If you’ve done these and still have a slow site, then you may want to consider upgrading your servers.
Your website should load quickly on every device. That being said, test out your site’s speed on multiple devices, such as desktop, mobile, and tablet to ensure it is loading fast.
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Mobile-Friendly
Every year, more and more people use their mobile devices to access websites. Now, what does this mean for your business? Well, it basically means that your website should also be optimized for mobile. You cannot just focus on desktop view anymore.There are different ways to have a mobile-friendly website. You could either create a mobile version for your site. Or, you can use a responsive website layout. When we say a website is responsive, we mean that it automatically adjusts to the screen it’s being viewed on.
Making sure your website is easy to view across different browsers, operating systems, and devices is an important thing to do. After all, with a responsive layout, you’ll make your visitors happy. And what can you get from happy visitors? Conversions.
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Forms
Do not overlook the significance of forms on your website! They serve as a way for visitors to interact with your site. Also, forms are effective in generating leads.
However, to make the most out of your website forms, see to it that they are hassle-free and accessible to anyone. With that said, you should use the right label for each field. Try keeping the number of fields to a minimum, and follow good form design principles.
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Blog Posts
Blog posts can help you reach your ideal audience, as well as establish you as an authority figure in your industry.
However, creating blog posts that actually get people to your site is easier said than done. You cannot just write about any topic under the sun. Rather, you have to create blog posts that offer your website visitors value.
Wrapping Up
These website features separate great websites from the good, the so-so, and the bad. With these in place, you’re not just providing your visitors with a seamless experience. You are also setting your business up for success.
Well, that’s basically it! Now you know the website design features that every effective website needs to have. It is the perfect time, then, to use all the things you learned to create the ideal website for your business.
If you liked this article, then don’t hesitate to share it with your friends, family, and colleagues.
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