Web design: Everything you need to know!

“They say that first impressions are everything when you meet someone face to face, so why should that change when your clients come in contact with your business for the first time online.  A website should represent your company perfectly and at a glance tell a story.”  The Pael Team

A website is an interface between a business and its customers. Every business wants to attract new customers and in 2018, there is no better to interact and reel in customers than a well-designed website.  Web design is a full-fledged creation process intended for better presentation of the content on the website, which can be accessed by users via the internet with a web browser.

 

Web Design Vs. Website Development

 

Web design and web development go hand in hand but are different. Web design is all about the visual aesthetics and the usability of a particular website. The important components of web design include the color scheme, information flow, layout and rest of the visually essential aspects of the user interface and the user experience (UI/UX). Web design requires a different set of tools and skills as compared to the web developer.

For a web designer, the set of tools include Adobe Creative Suite or related design software The tasks include Graphic design, Logo Design, the layout, Placement of call-to-action buttons, Branding components, Mockups, Color palettes, wireframes and likewise. Web design is basically all the things that are visible to a user when he/she visits the website. In essence, the digital experience is brought to life with an engaging website design.

Web Development, on the other hand, is all about coding. The code that gets the website running. Further categorized into the Front-end and the back end, web development has two different aspects as well. The front-end, also known as the client-side of the application involves codes that are responsible for the display of the designs by a Graphic designer. The Back-end, also known as the server end manages the data in a database and then further serving that data to the front-end for the display.  The skills and tools in this case also vary. These may include HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Frameworks, CSS preprocessors, Libraries, Git & GitHub, etc.

 

Importance of Web Design

Website design is the online face of your brand. The right design makes sure that the right impression stays with the audience. The brand is strengthened, and the design makes sure you stand out from your competition. A good website design helps to convince the customers and aesthetics including font, color, design, and graphics can help communicating effectively and have an impact on your audience base.

One of the most surprising revelation to be kept in mind is that design elements are extremely crucial in building trust or mistrust.  Web design has initiated a new revolution and businesses, products and services are evolving around it. Gone are the days when the print publication was familiar with rectangle shapes only. Web designs are giving new lessons to the world of print with new shapes and the bolder look.

 

Vital Elements of the Web Design

Web design works with many major visual elements to make sure that the website stands out. Many elements are important to a website and also quotidian to almost every website.

  • Layout: Layout includes the arrangement aspect of the graphics, text, and Speaking of an effective web design, the crucial thing is to provide information that the user seeks, at a glance. Layout includes maintaining the consistency, balance as well as integrity. A good layout gives an accurate picture of the total information available and avoids chaos.
  • Color: the color is of crucial importance. The particular color palette may attract a customer and look it trendy if used wisely. Majority of the times the choice of the color depends on the clientele and the purpose.
  • Graphics: The utmost important element in the web design is the graphics. Quality and presentation can attract a good customer base. Graphics include photos, logos, icons, clipart and other elements that enhance the design. Proper placement, pleasant colors and the content is the key. Graphics should not make the website look too clumsy or should not hamper the responsiveness of a website.
  • Fonts: Fonts are pivotal in enhancing the look of a website. Many web-browsers can work with a selective number of fonts also called “the safe fonts.” The graphic designer has to work within this range of acceptable fonts to make the website universal.
  • Content: Design and content go hand in hand to convey the exact message that it is supposed to. The written information on a website has to be concise but clear, and the content has to be optimized for the search engines. Incorporating right and relevant keywords will boost the relevancy of good content.

 

How to create an impressive and USER-FRIENDLY Design

Web design is important and while on the job, somethings need to be kept in mind. First thing first, websites are all about interaction. Browsing across a site is voluntary action and the effort to make a user stay comes via good design. A good quality design is critical in a while conveying your brand’s message.  The website has to do all the talking on your behalf.

When a user is on a particular website, the first thing he/she looks for is the brand name to confirm whether they are in the right place. Make sure that the business name is the first thing a user finds. Make sure that the navigation terms are easy and do not confuse the users. Label the pages and links on your website in a way that they convey exactly what is inside them.

Making users work hard with jingles and complex words might just confuse them, and your design will fail the purpose. Good web design is visually attractive. That means you do not have to bombard the user with too much information. Give visual breaks to ensure a seamless but understandable flow of information.

Avoid the tone on tone elements. They are tiring and definitely not reader-friendly. Provide clear content to avoid head-scratching. Write what you want to convey and nothing else. A good design consists of just the right color combination, attractive graphics, and easy navigation.

  • Navigation: Menus, Site architecture and related navigation tools have to be created keeping in consideration, how the user is going to search or browse. Keep an eye on what makes moving around much easier. Users must find what they are looking for immediately and effectively
  • Compatibility: Design in a way that the webpage performs efficiently on any kind of operating system or browser.
  • Multimedia: Provide relevant audio and video stimuli so that the users can grasp the provided information in a more quick and easy way.
  • Interactive: Add comment boxes or feedback forms or the opinion polls to make sure that the website offers active participation.

Good web design leads to better navigation

 

web design pael digital marekting

 

The navigation system on a website acts as a roadmap to different areas as well as the information contained in it. A good web design constructs a seamless navigation experience which makes the users stay and have a great experience. Designing website navigation is exactly like laying a foundation. While designing a website, here is what ensures a good navigation system.

  • Take care of the Information Architecture. The content planning is crucial to a website and has to be completed before the navigation is designed. It will give the designer an ability to look at a larger perspective and work accordingly. Look at the content from the perspective of a user and see how many pages the website should have, what should be the purpose of each page, the allowance for future addition etc.
  • Keep the navigation area simple. Overcrowding the navigation is never a good option. This may eventually overwhelm the user with choices and the user may just simply opt out.
  • Keep a check on the orientation. If the website is designed for desktops, horizontal navigation is what you should aim at.

How to decide on who will design?

Having a good web design means more business. Bad designs usually repel customers and for small businesses, having a good website is crucial. Deciding on who will design the website is one of the crucial strategic decisions. Designed a website may require all or a few professionals including a website designer, graphic designer, website programmer and internet marketing consultant.

A website is crucial, so unless and until you have mastered the art, it is preferable to outsource people for one. There are firms out there who have all the skills you require, and your solutions lie under a single roof. No looking for multiple professionals and work clashes will save time and effort.

 

Advantages of Professional Web Design

A professionally designed website makes the business stand out, which is crucial in today’s scenario. Here is what a good web design brings in:

  • Good impressions: The website being the online face of the brand, makes sure to attract some impressions. If the web design is up to the mark, the business will grow significantly by attracting a pool of new customers. An unprofessional website may fail to serve the purpose by looking unwelcoming to the visitors.
  • SEO: Your website needs to be optimized for search engines to stay relevant. Simple DIY cannot cater to these needs until and unless you have a thorough knowledge of how SEO works. Users look for relevant services by some specific keywords and the first or second result generated by the search engine gets a click. If your website is outdated, this possibility vanishes into thin air, and the website may actually serve no purpose.
  • Generate revenue: A good web design will generate more traffic as the attractive design will attract more visitors. The base has a potential to be your next customer.
  • Quick access: Internet is making the websites available in each and every household. Consider having a hold on a population base throughout the country or across the globe. All you need to do is invest in a good web designer, and you are good to go.
  • Stay ahead of your competition: Having a good web design may leave your competition far behind. Professional design makes sure that this need is catered.

 

What ARE THE challenges to Web Design?

As the world moves forward so does the technology. Advancements in internet technology and the devices used are making it difficult to create universal web designs. Here is how:

  • Responsiveness: Getting the content you have on your site to look great on any and every screen size is critical in responsive design. All major search engines now require your website to be responsive. There has been a significant rise in developments across the platforms. Many platforms have emerged, and many are being constantly developed. It becomes difficult to keep up with the pace and serve the right content across all kinds of screens and platforms.
  • Integration: Everything related to internet technology is noticing a boom. The third-party applications are being created, and the synchronization becomes a bit chaotic.
  • Security: It is crucial to safeguard the data and content generated from a website. In light of recent malware and hacking attack, the security is becoming more of a challenge.
  • User Experience: The times are demanding. You stay ahead, or you lose. Web designs are in a race to make the experience consistently good. The standards are just getting higher and higher, and it is quite a task to keep up the pace.

 

Still, need more information?  Give us a call and we can discuss your website project or how to make your current site better.  CONTACT US

 

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