Web Design best practice

Try to avoid the using words that your customer will not understand. The idea is not to confuse or baffle them with jargon and science. Try to strategically place words in body text that your customers are looking for.

Find out through market research and customer surveys how your customer thinks. Then create the structure of your website around this. Try not to replicate your internal system and process if it differs from your customers needs.

Do the “mum test”, This will help you identify areas of your website where your customers may struggle. Ask someone who has never been on your website before to carry out core tasks, ones you would like real customers or visitors to carry out in order to reach your goals for the website. As a general rule of thumb, if your mother can do it there is a very good chance your customers can.

Make is very easy for your customer to access the information they need. Keep it simple. Go for a web design that embraces clarity and effective functionality.

Make your customers lives better for visiting your website. They should leave feeling like they have accomplished a mission, not started off on one.

Have a good look at your home page layout and make sure you have captivating and interesting information in the “prime real estate” area of the web page. (above the fold before the need to scroll down) Be mindful also of the page load times as these are factors that popular search engines are considering when ranking your site. Try to minimize the use of repetitive text and visuals. It’s a good idea to have a distinct contrast between text and background with clear defined edges in the web design.

Make sure your website appeals to your target audience and maintains consistency with regards to headers, logo and navigation. The use of breadcrumbs is highly effective to let the user know where they are and where they have come from. It can really help your customers feel a sense of orientation when browsing through your website.

Horizontal scrolling is not an option, along with page load errors. Make sure you footer area includes all the information that makes them feel safe. Include address, copyright information, contact details etc. Try to make use of effective proximity and alignment to keep the web design looking well-organised and fluid.

Make sure all your internal and external links work as they should, all forms function the way they should and no javascript errors are generated.

If you follow a few simple rules you should be able to design a website that will bring value to your business and your current / prospective customers.