FOCUS ON THE MESSAGE

It is important that the design of your website focuses on getting your core message across to the audience. So if you are a business you need to get across what you can do for your customers or any offers you may have. Most internet users visit a website only briefly if they do not immediately see what they want so it is very important to get to the point. Think about what the first thing visitors see when they visit your site.

A WEBSITE IS AN ADVERT

Remember that a website is essentially an advert. You need to give a positive impression to your visitors so they want to use your services or find out more. Focus on what you want to achieve from your website, whether it is selling your services, selling your products or offering information. Then design your site with this in mind.

BALANCE BETWEEN THE BASICS AND MAKING AN IMPRESSION

It is important to get the right balance between getting the basics right while still making an impression. You don’t want to over complicate things and make it difficult for visitors so a simple and concise design is something you should aim for. Web designers often make the mistake of trying to impress too much. You also need to make an impression though. If you don’t catch visitors’ attention in a few seconds they will look elsewhere. You need to give your target audience something to stay for, so it is a difficult balance.

LAYOUT & CONTRAST

It is usually best to choose a simply layout. This is what the majority of visitors want as more complex layouts can be confusing. The website needs to be easy to read. For the same reasons the colours of the background and the overlaying text need to contrast one another.

PAGES

Depending on the content of your site, you should have a number of pages with each of them focussing on something different. This simplifies the whole site and it gives it a flowing structure. It is important to think about what each page is going to say. You should plan the structure of the pages before you design the site. The homepage needs to get the overall message across. It should summarise what you and your website is about and point visitors to the relevant pages for more information.

GRAPHICS

Graphics can be very effective tools if used well, but can also be a distraction. Make sure you don’t overuse them. Most people use the internet looking for information so make sure this isn’t lost by overusing graphics. Make sure pictures reflect the theme of the text around them. Graphics should complement the rest of the site and not distract from it.

Andrew Marshall (c)