In this article, I will be discussing the necessary steps you need to take combined with factors to consider before you start building a website. Investing in a new website is a major decision for any business, big or small. Your website is the face of your brand in the online world – the place where your potential customers come to gain in-depth knowledge about who you are and what you do.
When done correctly, a new website will function as a lead-generating machine, turning web traffic into quantifiable conversions. But if you miss the mark, it could turn into a can of worms – a seemingly never-ending cycle of tweaks and fixes that chew through your time and money.
Most business owners are aware of the risks associated with website development projects. After all, we’ve all heard horror stories about companies building a website only to end up with a final product that doesn’t function as intended or doesn’t match the vision that was originally pitched.
So, how can you avoid ending up with an underwhelming website design? And which website tips are the most crucial for the success of your site?
We’ve done the heavy lifting for you, digging into trends that high-performing websites follow, and determining which features, processes, and strategies separate the finest business websites from the worst.
Are you ready to change the way you approach website projects?
Here are the top 17 things to consider when designing a website:
1. Identifying your primary users
This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many website projects have been completed without a proper user profile analysis. In order to create a website that meets the needs of your most important target audiences, you have to first delve into who those people are, and why they are coming to your site.
It’s not uncommon for one business to have multiple primary user groups.
For example, a website for a doctor’s clinic would likely select their patients as their primary audience. But if the healthcare professionals who work at the clinic also access the website in order to update client information, schedule appointments, respond to public inquiries, and post updates, then the internal healthcare professionals should also be considered primary users.
Before contacting a website development company, it’s essential to narrow down your user audiences, identify why they come to your website, and consider how you change your site to better meet their needs.
2. Improving your visual brand
Has it been a while since your company revamped its logo? Is the colour scheme of your branding coming across as drab or dated? Do you even have a visual branding guidelines document? These are all things to consider when investing in building a website. The more clear, consistent, and contemporary your branding is, the more visually appealing your website will be.
However, it’s important to remember that the website development team you hire will likely NOT be responsible for the brand identity of your site. Thus, the onus is on you to come to the table with your branding guidelines in hand.
If you’re having trouble getting started on your branding guidelines document, we recommend checking out these inspiring brand guide examples from some of the world’s leading corporations.
3. Making mobile a top priority
In 2018, no business should be investing in a website that isn’t being built for mobile-first. With 51% of global web traffic originating from mobile devices, skipping on responsiveness is one of the surest ways to hinder the success of your site. You want to ensure that your design is optimized for how images, text, logos, and other elements will look on smaller screens since many of your visitors will be accessing your site from a tablet or cell phone.
Ask your web development company if they are familiar with a mobile-first design, sensory design, and adaptive design – each of which is necessary when creating a website with mobile users in mind.
4. Including calls to action
Nothing stifles the functionality of a website like forgetting to incorporate a call-to-action (CTA) on every page. What is a CTA? It’s a statement or question that motivates your website visitors to do something.
For example, including the statement, “Follow us on Facebook for more exclusive gardening tips!” at the end of a blog post inspires readers to take action by following your business on social media.
As a rule of thumb, every page of your website should have at least one CTA.
It is also critical to remember that when you include a CTA on your website, your visitors should immediately be able to complete the suggested action by clicking on your button.
For example, if you include a CTA that says “Download Our Brochure Here!”, your visitors should be able to click on the word “here” and instantly be taken to the download link.
Complicated CTAs or broken links will leave your users feeling frustrated and will likely result in a higher web page bounce rate (not good!).
5. Structuring your site for scalability
Never make the mistake of building a website that will only meet your current needs. There is no better time to factor in the future than while you are in the process of a website redesign. Too often, business owners spend an exorbitant amount of cash on building a website, only to realize a few months down the road that there are already new functions that they require, and they don’t have the ability to make them happen.
Hence, keeping scalability at the top of your priority list is always one of our recommended website tips.
Simple things like avoiding single points of failure (SPOF) are absolute musts if your website is going to continue to meet your business requirements for years to come.
Ask yourself: Where will we keep our website data, how will we access it, and how frequently will we back it up?
Always aim to minimize the likelihood that your website could be compromised if one thing goes wrong. Having a backup plan (and a backup, backup plan) is always better than realizing you’re stuck with your current situation because you didn’t plan ahead.
6. Communicating with your customers
The ability to connect with your target audience should always be a central concern when developing your site. After all, your visitors are who you are creating your website for. So, be sure to ask yourself the following questions:
- How do I want my customers to be able to reach me? (Email, telephone, online chat, etc.)
- What hours do I want to be available to my customers via my chosen communication methods?
- Who in my organization should be able to receive communications from clientele?
- What security measures should be in place when communicating with clients via my website?
- Am I a good candidate for artificial intelligence or chatbots?
Always consider your communication needs before building a website, and brainstorm with your website development company to determine which options are right for you.
7. Selecting the right content management system
If you are a business that has had a website for some time, you may be comfortable with the CMS you currently use. Or, alternatively, you may be frustrated with the CMS you’ve been using and therefore ready to try something new. Of course, the most popular and widely-used content management system is WordPress, due to its ease of use and 100% customizable design. But every business has unique problems that need solving, and ultimately the right CMS for your business may not be the best choice for someone else’s.
We recommend researching each of the top CMS options, consulting with your website design team, and making an informed decision using the information you gather.
8. Balancing your budget
Before solidifying your plans for a website overhaul, you have to establish your budget – a task that often involves a reality check for business owners. For a completely custom website project, you can expect to pay between $10,000 and $15,000, on average. That number can increase if your website project is highly complex or involves a high number of pages, and it can decrease if you decide to go with a template design.
Of course, each option comes with its advantages and disadvantages.
On top of the website development itself, you’ll also have to factor in additional services like copywriting and SEO if you are unable to perform these tasks on your own.
We suggest reading this helpful guide for setting a website budget before meeting with your chosen web company, so you can enter the meeting with a number in mind.
9. Delegating roles ahead of time
Even if you follow all of the other website tips included in this list, your project can still be a chaotic mess if you don’t prepare your staff members and establish roles in advance. Tasks that will need to be addressed include:
- Gathering of information for website content
- Compiling of artwork, logos, images, and graphics for website use
- Completion of branding guidelines
- Writing of website content
- Define privacy policy and other legal text required for the website
- Review and approval of pitched designs
- Populate the website content with various content items
And more!
The more time your internal team has to lay the groundwork for these responsibilities, the more streamlined your web project will be.
10. Add social proof
Social media is a major aspect of online marketing. By incorporating social proof into your website content, you can increase your brand loyalty and give your visitors additional reasons to support your business.
How do you do it?
- Include photos or logos of your certifications to highlight how qualified you are
- Incorporate links to your company social media pages where possible
- Include photos and links to the social media profiles of industry influencers who use your product or support your brand
- Include a media page on your website where you link to articles and published content that mentions your brand
- Add social sharing buttons to your blog that display how many times your post has been shared or liked.
11. Custom Web Design vs. Website Templates
A custom website is developed from scratch. Your unique specifications determine information architecture, graphics, functions, and administrative back-end. Do you have well-established branding guidelines that reflect who you are as a company? A custom solution is for you.
Custom-fit solutions need months to deploy. That may not be workable if you want to get started right away, or if you have a limited budget. A template site may offer a good alternative.
If you’re just starting up, you may not need certain parts of a website. A pre-built or template-based site is a great choice. Unlike their custom counterparts, templates include only basic functions. Some customization is possible.
If you value the impact of a strong online identity, your brand benefits more from a custom web design. Custom designs can be expensive to scale. Most templates are easy to scale.
12. Clean Design
Bold, clean designs draw attention and make browsing easy for users. Bold makes a statement. Cluttered websites make users bounce before you get the chance to tell them what you’re all about. Simple clean design also helps the right things stand out.
The clean design follows a simple principle: less is more. Avoid using too much information presented in different ways. Say what you have to say – but say it well.
- Use white space. Focus on key elements and remove the rest. White space makes the user digest content easier.
- Gather all your ideas into one or two graphics per page. The images must have a strong visual impact, whether it’s about the color or the message they send.
- Play with contrasts. It can help you point out information. Add contrast if you use white space for a clean design.
13. Selecting a Color Scheme
Does your brand already exist? You already have your color scheme. If it doesn’t, you have more options. Color affects psychology. Use this guide to decide which the main color will work for you.
Then, follow the 60-30-10 Rule. It works for interior and fashion designers, and just as well in web design. Pick three different colors and use them in ratios of 60%, 30%, and 10% respectively.
- The 60% will be the primary color of your site and set the tone.
- The 30% should contrast with the 60% to create a striking effect.
- The 10% is your accent color. It complements either the primary or secondary color.
Make either the 60% or 30% a neutral color. This gives you the greatest number of choice options for the other two colors.
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14. Web Typography
Most information found on the web is text, so it’s important to understand how present it. There’s a whole science behind typography. Particularly for websites. Fonts behave on screens in different ways than they do on paper. Read more about it here.
Here are some typography best practices:
- Use an equal balance of serif and sans-serif fonts for headlines.
- Use more sans-serif fonts in body copy.
- Limit lines of text to 84 characters.
- Use responsive typography.
15. Features and Functionality
You can turn this into a top 10 list. Make sure your website does these things:
- 1. Responsive. The display has to compensate for the size of the screen.
- 2. Easy to use. Don’t get clever with navigation. Make it simple and obvious.
- 3. Update content on a regular basis. One easy way to do this is with a blog.
- 4. Keep the most important elements of every page above the scroll.
- 5. Use lead magnets. You want email address, so give visitors something for that.
- 6. Optimize for speed. Your visitors won’t wait for slow pages to load. Google will penalize you with a lower ranking, too.
- 7. Use CMS to save time and build content faster.
- 8. Take advantage of analytics. Using data about your website is the only way you can improve it.
- 9. Guide your visitors. Don’t assume they know what to do. If you want them to click or scroll, let them know.
- 10. Integrate social media. These sites are as powerful as Google. You can’t afford not to include them on your website.
16. Site Structure
The structure of your website helps visitors take steps to buy the products or services you offer. Make it easy for them. You do this by creating a clear site structure that is easy to navigate. It follows a hierarchy of content, and it feels natural and intuitive to visitors.
Here are some best practices to keep in mind:
- The closer you are to your homepage, the more general the topics should be. The head sections of your site should paint a broad picture. Use them to start the conversation, and draw visitors in.
- Head sections should correspond with your primary offers, products, and services.
- Start by labeling sections. Work to refine them throughout the evolution of your site. Test and change to encourage a natural flow. Conduct keyword research for optimal labels.
- Use analytics from your website’s site search to see what people are looking for. Make those items accessible so users don’t have to search for them.
- Don’t overlap content. Redundancy hurts the user experience. Search engines will penalize you for this, too.
- Section names and the flow of the site should be clear and make sense to everyone. Not just you.
17. Navigation and Usability
It’s critical. The design of a website’s navigation has a big impact on success or failure. It affects traffic and search engine rankings. It affects conversions and user-friendliness.
- Use standard vertical or horizontal navigation. It’s already familiar to viewers. You don’t want to confuse them.
- Don’t get crazy with dropdown menus. They’re best for helping users select from a large list.
- Don’t overload your homepage navigation. It’s confusing to visitors, and it hurts your SEO.
- Use text links instead of buttons. They’re more search friendly, and they load faster.
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Conclusion
By keeping these considerations in mind, business owners from all industries can increase their chances of a successful website project, ensuring their needs are met and the overall design supports their business goals.
Furthermore, plan to regularly backup. A lot of plugins are dedicated for this purpose. Follow my posts to see more ways to get value from your website. Feel free to drop your questions in the comment sections.