Web design and development is one of the offshoots of the digital revolution that began years ago. Because of the importance and popularity of owning websites, web design has since matured into a very viable profession for many all over the world. Though there are no barriers to entry for aspiring web designers, this is a highly technical field that requires tedious training. Whether you are a newbie or offering web design services in the UK, these 7 tips below will help you create optimal websites, no matter the budget at your disposal.
Have a grasp of web design principles?
Web design is a highly technical and specialized field that requires significant theoretical and practical training. The difference between a great and average web designer could be in the quality of training received. Hence, needless to say, it is very important to have advanced knowledge of web design principles. So whether it is Gestalt theory, UI, UX, or visual hierarchy, to mention a few, you need to be an authority as far as web design is concerned.
This is not to say that Rome was built in a day, however. Learning is a gradual process, but the faster you learn, the more authoritative you become. Technology is a fast-changing phenomenon. Therefore, be sure to learn the latest web design trends (concepts, principles, theories, and practices) as soon as they emerge. Luckily, there are many resources out there (both free and paid) that can help you internalize the various web design principles.
7 web design tips for any budget
Study SEO to improve web design
Web design and search engine optimization may be different concepts, but digital technologies are often designed to be interconnected or compatible with each other (as epitomized by the IoT, for example). In today’s very crowded online space where there are millions of websites, you not only need to design a website but one that is optimized to do well on SERPs. This difficult task is the dream of every website operator.
So, there are many ways a web designer can contribute to optimizing a website. Take mobile compatibility, for example. Mobile search is increasingly becoming important for both search engines and businesses. Therefore, a good designer must ensure that the website being designed is not only compatible with a host of mobile devices but also appears with a search-optimized, user-friendly interface.
Make use of responsive design
A responsive web design is one that seeks to ensure that web pages appear very well, no matter the device you are viewing them from or the size of the displaying screen. The major aims of responsive design are increased web page visibility across multiple devices as well as maximized user satisfaction.
A good web designer should ensure that included design elements work efficiently on all devices. This will help ensure that the website in question has the potential to attract as many viewers as possible as they can access it from all devices. Increased viewership will imply increased profitability and make the website an authority in its niche.
Prioritize site speed
Speed is important in many facets of life, and web design is no different. The implications of slow loading speeds on your website can range from low patronage of your website to poor rankings on SERPs. If you are still wondering whether page speed affects SEO, the answer is – YES, it does. It is a direct ranking factor at Google. Not only that, but speed can also impact rankings indirectly, e.g., by increasing the bounce rate and decreasing dwell time.
To guard against slow speeds, therefore, web designers must help identify its causative factors (weak URLs, large images/videos, widgets, etc.) and evolve ways to deal with them. Note that there is a certain speed limiting factors that the web designer may struggle to control. For instance, the processing speed of the device, the internet service provider, the connection type, etc.
Resources like Google Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights tool can help you assess and evaluate the speed of your website. Apart from these Google apps, there are several others that can also be very useful.
Use easy to read text
The most important duty of web pages is to convey information and, most times, elicit responses/actions from readers. Any web design approach that makes content difficult to read can scare visitors to competitor websites. From a design perspective, an easy to read article should:
- Use eye-friendly fonts
Clarity is important when reading, so using simply designed fonts (there are many of them) that are friendly to the eye can help ensure that visitors read your content from beginning to end. Remember that your audience may include those struggling with one visual impairment or the other. Therefore, be sure to use clear and simple fonts that appeal to the eye.
- Be Adequately Spaced
Every web designer should discourage the use of a large block of texts without adequate spacing. This is because clustering sentences and paragraphs together make reading extremely tedious for some, in addition to being very unfriendly to the eye. Hence, ensure that your web design approach is one that encourages the breaking down or spacing of paragraphs into blocks of ideas.
Though there is no fixed formal rule for spacing, most web operators add a space after every three to five sentences. This makes passages (especially lengthy ones) less confusing, tidy, and reader-friendly.
- Have an Appropriate Text/Background Color Contrast
For easy readability, it is necessary to establish the right contrast between your text color and background color. Using a background color that blurs the text color can make reading difficult, especially for readers with eye problems. So, again, there are a number of apps that can assist you in achieving an appropriate text/background contrast.
Utilize visual hierarchy
Visual hierarchy is a web design principle that involves ordering design elements according to their degree of importance in terms of how you want your readers to see them. A strategic and logical arrangement of design elements can have a powerful effect on your audience; which may lead them to take desired actions. For example, locating CTAs strategically can win you more clicks and subsequent patronage for your products/services.
Some key attributes of a compelling visual hierarchy include:
- Size – The larger the text, the more visually appealing it tends to be. Large texting is ideal for banner headings at the top of the page and also for logos.
- Color – The brighter the colors, the more attention it attracts. Bright colors are especially good for CTAs.
- Contrast – Skillful color contrasts are more visually effective.
- Placement – Determine the best position to place each element (e.g., a CTA) for maximum effect.
- Whitespace – Adequate spacing makes texts less crowded and more reader-friendly.
Demand for feedback and learn from it
So, no man is an island, and nobody is an encyclopedia of knowledge. Even with all your professional and technical acumen, there’ll still be areas you need to improve on. Life is like that. One way to identify areas that need improvement is by demanding feedback and even (constructive) criticisms of your projects.
While you throw the feedback/criticism door open for everybody, try to concentrate on the comments of those who show sufficient aptitude for the subject matter. And be sure to work on any observed inefficiencies based on their feedback. In a nutshell, listening to constructive views will help you grow into a knowledgeable and proficient expert with time.
Conclusion
Web design has become an important occupation in today’s internet age brought about by the digital revolution. However, like any other field of knowledge, the journey to becoming a great web designer is characterized by continuous training and search for knowledge, especially because of the ever-changing nature of digital technologies. So, whether you are new to web designing or already practicing, the few tips captured in this article should help you actualize your web design dreams with any budget.
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