What is the use of building a website if it is not effective? A leading agency that specializes in website design in Dallas says that there is a lot more to building websites than making them look pretty. The developers, the hosting solution, the font, and even the names of the pages all help to create a great experience for the users that visit the site.
There are many tricks and tips for building great websites, but we have uncovered 10 secrets that are often overlooked by novice designers. Remember, everything counts when it comes to having a website that works the way it is supposed to.
1. Host Your Site on a Solid Platform
One of the biggest mistakes a web developer can do is to house the website on a faulty hosting platform. Yes, some platforms boast very cheap prices with an easy way to host your site, but when it comes down to being able to handle the heat of thousands of visitors…they fail.
In order for your site to be as effective as it possibly can it has to be housed on a sturdy platform that can handle lots of traffic.
In addition to being able to handle traffic, the hosting solution has to be up to date on the latest versions of whatever code is making it work. If the code is outdated it is pretty easy for hackers to slip right through compromised security and build shady pages right on your website.
Probably the biggest problem with inferior hosting is that it slows the website down. If your site has slow pages that take a long time to load the odds of your visitors actually sticking around to buy something are pretty slim. People like the internet because it makes things happen fast…when things don’t go fast, people look elsewhere.
2. Make Above the Fold Count
Once your visitors make it to your home page what they see will determine whether or not they want to stick around and learn more, or if they just want to leave.
The trick is to have something that attracts them and gets their attention as they land on the pages. “Above the fold” is the area on the screen before they have to scroll down to see more. That one spot, right in their face as they land on the page…that’s where it counts.
Depending on your target audience the style that you choose can be more effective for certain types of people than others. This is why it is important to understand the type of visitors that will be coming to your site.
If it is a mixture of different types of people, it may be safer to go with content that is not overbearing and obnoxious…however…some people like it loud.
Keeping in mind that large images slow down page loading time be sure to include an image that gets attention, but does not slow your site down.
3. Make it Easy to Navigate
When people visit websites they want to be able to find what they are looking for. In addition to a clearly labeled menu on both the top of the pages and in the footer, it is wise to include a search box where visitors can simply type in a word and find it on the site.
When people go to a website and have a hard time finding what they are looking for they will bounce to another site just as quickly as they landed on yours. Nobody wants to spend any time looking for ways to find what they are looking for. Make sure that your site is constructed in a way that users can easily get around and get things done.
4. Choose Your Fonts Wisely
Although there are some cool-looking fonts out there that look interesting, the problem with them is that they strain the eye, or make it hard for the reader to understand. The bottom line is that if people can’t read what your content says, they will leave. Choose fonts that are pleasing to the eye, but also are very easy to read and understand.
Reading words on a computer screen can cause strain on the eyes. This strain can be even worse if the letters of the words that they are reading are squiggly and unclear. There is a big difference between an A and an E but if the reader can’t tell the difference because of a fancy font, what is the point in having content anyway?
5. Remember Code is Key
We discussed earlier, having the website hosted on a strong platform so that it can handle visitors. In addition to solid hosting the code of the site itself has to be free of bugs. Some of the most talented developers in the world will tell you that if your code is off, it can lead to big problems.
One of the craziest things that novice developers forget is that different browsers render websites differently from other browsers if the code is off.
For example, if you visit a website on a mobile phone using Safari, that site may look much different if you browse it through Google Chrome on that same phone.
The reason why is that there are little pieces of code that tell the browser how to show the website under certain circumstances. If the code is incomplete, the site can look bad on one browser, but fine on another.
In fact, the code can stop the web pages from loading altogether and give the user a blank screen that times out or refuses to load.
In any event, the best way to make sure that your site is in tip-top shape is to check your code for errors before you launch the site and after you make any changes.
6. Provide Meaningful Content
Believe it or not, the content that you put on your site makes all of the difference in the world. People like good content. Even if they are merely shopping, they can appreciate some good, solid, meaningful content about the things they are interested in.
In addition to satisfying the interests of your visitors, when you have quality, clear, content on your website it helps to build its authority of it in regard to the search engines. Great content not only provides a solution for people that are looking for one, but it also makes your site look important.
7. Colors Can Inspire
When it is time to implement a color scheme on your site, keep in mind that certain colors evoke different reactions from people. For example, the color red can instill a feeling of distress or danger in a user. If they land on your site and are bombarded with the color red, they might feel as if the site is not safe or that it is giving some sort of warning.
That is not to say that the color red is bad on a website, however, it can be overwhelming and cause people to want to avoid it.
Depending on the context of the colors you can definitely attract or repel people from your site by the way that you implement your colors.
8. Give Them What They Want
When people visit your site they are looking for something. Let them have it. Give them a clear path to whatever it is they are looking for.
If your site sells shoes, lay out a map of what kinds of shoes are where. Show the visitors what they are looking for is right there for them to have right now.
One of the bigger mistakes that eCommerce sites do is to have products up there that are unavailable or out of stock. If you are selling a product that sells quickly, make sure you keep up with the demands. As soon as the people that depend on you for a certain product can get it somewhere else faster and cheaper, they will. Never give them a reason to search elsewhere unless you absolutely have to.
9. Focus More On Conversions than SEO
Here’s where the tricky part is. Yes, you need good SEO in order to be seen in the search engine results. However, if your site shows up in the search engines, but does not get conversions, what is the point?
Conversions are when your visitors convert from being visitors to paying customers. When a person visits your site they can either buy something or not. Your main concern is for them to buy something.
Design the site with the user in mind and make adjustments based on conversion rate optimization as opposed to search engine optimization. If you have to leave out a particular keyword in order to make your site look appealing…by all means…choose the appeal.
While search engine visibility is a crucial part of the success of a website when you focus all of your efforts on SEO you can tend to ignore the other elements of the site that will make it more appealing to users and generate more sales.
10. Contact Info Front and Center
One of the best things you can do for your business is to make it easy for people to contact you. Help them to be able to connect with you with questions or assistance. Make sure that your contact info is on the heading or footing of every page as well as with calls to action to make contact on every page.
Conclusion
Building a great website is a lot of work. It takes a special kind of skill to tastefully create a highly technical work of art that is appealing to people and the bots that scurry around the internet in search of information. The difference between an effective website and an ineffective one is simply a matter of development.
