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Web Design/Development?
It takes about 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for a user to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they like your site or not, whether they’ll stay or leave. There are a couple of factors that play into a visitors decision…
- Did they find what they were looking for?
- How long did it take for your homepage to load?
- Is your site responsive?
- Are you offering a great user experience?
Why is my competitors website better then mine?
The following is just a starting point to help you understand some of the more important required components when developing a “good” website. You can try it on your own, or you could call the professionals to do it for you.
- Mobile Compatibility – As more and more people use their mobile phones to access the Internet, creating a mobile optimized website has become a necessity.
- Accessible to All Users – A user-friendly website should also be accessible to everyone including blind, disabled or the elderly.
- Well Planned Information Architecture – Plan your website sections and categories carefully and present information in a way that it is easy for users to find. Always think from the perspective of your users.
- Well-Formatted Content That is Easy to Scan – Users tend to scan through key parts of the page quickly to determine if it is relevant to their needs. It is important to format your content with this in mind.
- Fast Load Times – Nothing is more annoying for website visitors than a website that takes long to load. In fact, slow speed is one of the main reasons why visitors leave a website.
- Browser Consistency – Browser compatibility can be easily overlooked. This is bad for branding and has a negative affect on website usability.
- Effective Navigation – Good navigation is one of the most important aspects of website usability. Simple HTML or JavaScript menus tend to work best and appear consistent on all browsers and platforms.
- Good Error Handling – Good error handling and description on-screen messages are very important for good usability.
- Valid Mark-up & Clean Code – A website that adheres to the relevant web design best practices and standards is often more robust and dependable. It also ensures the website will load faster, appear consistent across browsers/devices and easily troubleshoot if the need arises.
- Contrasting Colour Scheme – The right contrast between the background of the website and content is one of the most basic yet most important web design principles that should never be overlooked.
- Usable Forms – Forms are a very important element on business websites. They allow users to interact with the site.
What can I do to make my website better?
So, you’re thinking about redoing your website. With so many things to keep in mind and think about during the process, one that is often overlooked is the importance of the actual design. The design can have a direct impact on your audience and overall business (both positively or negatively). Here are a couple things to keep in mind when looking at design and how to make sure it positively affects your business…
- It sets a first impression. When your potential customer/client visits your website for the first time, it gives them their first impression of your business. In these first few seconds, you want to make sure to make a positive impact.
- It can positively affect your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy.
- It sets the impression for customer service. Even though it is not always the case, people can (and will) judge how you will treat them just by looking at your website.
- It build trust with your audience. To put it simply, people don’t trust poorly designed websites.
- Your competitors are doing it. Know that anything you are thinking of doing, your competitors have either already done it or are also thinking about doing it.