7 Keys to an Effective Website Design

If you run an established business and have a terrific product, a strong brand identity, and a solid marketing plan, you’re already ahead of most small businesses.

But what if you have a new business that is just getting off the ground or planning to start a new business.  Your primary focus is to make sure customers and potential customers can easily find your business, and your business website and that it is designed to create excellent customer (user) experience. -UX

A website is much more then a digital billboard with pretty pictures, it must convert visitors into sales.

It is a digital world and virtually every consumer has the ability to research a product or business.  A recent study shows that 97% of consumers research their purchases online before they buy something. 

If you have a poorly designed website, the chances are good that you’re losing a chance to turn researchers into loyal customers. Branding statistics unequivocally show this to be true. Make sure you’re not giving up thousands of dollars in revenue and get your website functioning the way you need it to.

Having said that, the majority of small business owners worry that website design prices can be prohibitively high.

Many design companies and agencies indeed charge thousands of dollars for their services.  The average custom designed WP site starts in the neighborhood of $5000.  But this isn’t universally true (Inside Line’s custom website design projects start at just $989, including hosting)

What 7 Points make up 7C’s of Website Design?

Creativity is needed when designing modern website design. Steve Jobs, creator of Apple, said it best, “We are not going to try to do something better, we are going to do it different.”  Creativity is simply thinking out of the box. It means doing something new and different that hasn’t been done before.  The key with creativity is to think of unique features for your website design, such as having an original layout or new colors on your website.  If you are brave enough to start your own business, why would you want to just copy or do it the way others do. 

Consistency is important so that the audience knows what to expect from page to page. Use a similar color scheme throughout your website design as well as including a menu that links back to all the main pages, it is also suggested to keep the typography and graphics consistent throughout your entire site so there is no confusion about where clients are located on your website.  All headings should be consistent in font, size, and color, as well as all content. 

Clarity is important for Website Design because it means communicating effectively and efficiently. Clarity suggests that you make large and easy to read fonts as well as having a white background, which is the universal color for clarity. Using an obvious navigation panel rather than one that is confusing and difficult to use is also a good thing to help improve site clarity.  

Content is all about the content that you include on your website. Only include the most important information about your business and remove any information that is not necessary. This also suggests trying to include a blog or another type of easy to update content as this will encourage visitors to come back to your site again and again, which will keep them interested in your business. Finally, it is suggested to use relevant keywords throughout the content on your website to make sure that it is well received by search engines.

Continuity – make sure that one-page flows easily into another, which will make for an easy user experience and avoid confusion for the audience. It is recommended that there is the inclusion of a contact page as well as having an about us section and frequently asked questions pages. You should also include both external and internal links on your website to make it easy for users to navigate their way through the site.  It should be almost pre-cognitive.  Your site should flow where the customer wants to go before he or she does. 

Compatibility is all about making sure that your website is compatible with all the modern browsers and devices so customers can visit your site from anywhere. A highly functional contact page as well as including videos and photos, which will keep users entertained for longer. Having a search function to make it as easy as possible for users to find the products or services they want is also a good idea to consider when making a website.

Customization – making your website unique and updating it so that it matches the style and needs of your business. Having a theme and layout that is different than other websites out there will help make your business stand out. It’s a good idea to try and include frequently asked questions on your website so customers can read them whenever they need to. Again, having a blog or photo gallery feature helps to give the user entertainment or knowledge while they are on your site.  Google hates static sites. Blogs and changing photo galleries are excellent ways to have constant change to your site.

We at Inside Line Marketing follow these 7 simple steps to create a website that can help improve your online reputation because having a high-quality website will mean your brand in general will be held at a higher standard. 

For more information you may contact us here, or email us at info@ilineco.com.