Which Web Design is Right for You?
For businesses looking to create or re-invent their online presence, deciding which web design best suits your needs can be a challenge. However, whether you are hiring a professional designer, purchasing a ready-made template or having a go at designing a website yourself, there are some key points to keep in mind when in determining which design is right for you.
Ease of Navigation
Nothing is more frustrating to visitors than a website with poor navigation. Endless research shows that users are quick to leave a site if they struggle to find the information they are after. For your site navigation to be effective, you must ensure that visitors can access the most important information as quickly as possible. Think like a user! For instance, on a hotel website, you would expect to access the telephone number, booking information and a location map, together with directions by simply glancing at the home page or menu.
Home page links on every page, a consistent menu across the entire website and a decent site map are also staple elements of design that can help to minimise any navigation issues. Since the site's own internal link structure is important for search engine rankings, make sure that the links on your menu and elsewhere on the page use the most relevant keywords - words and search terms that the user is likely to enter into a search engine to find you in the first place.
Rich Content
Most importantly, from both a user and a search engine perspective, it is essential that your site provides rich, unique and relevant information around the subject area at hand. The search engines are partiicularly sensitive to the quality, uniqueness and indeed the freshness of on-page content and will rank you accordingly.
Don't Overload Your Design
Unnecessary design elements such as splash pages can annoy potential visitors and slow down the time it takes to load your page. The same is true of the over-use of images, flash elements or background music. Most internet users appreciate speed and detailed information over graphics and effects. Graphics may also cause problems with some browsers and may not be indexable by certain search engines which means that their content, however relevant, may not be helping you in achieving long term search engine presence.
Reflecting Brand and Purpose
It is important to remember that a website is representing your brand and must be in keeping with the image and values you want to portray. When deciding which web design to use, it is worth paying attention to all elements of appearance, such as colour and logos, in order to be certain that your website is reflecting what you want it to.
There are many other important factors that merit research and understanding before you start. These include keyword density; effective use of meta tags, headings (H1, H2, H3); the use of ALT text on any images; and ensuring that it is hosted on a fast, reliable web server in a location that matches your target market. This may seem intimidating but the information is feely available online and will help in constructing a decent site - one that people will actually find!
Contact Delivered Systems for Web Design
Delivered Systems provide a range of Web Design services and also provide web hosting, IT support, computer systems and web application development. Contact us free to discuss your requirements on 01892 704 150 or complete our enquiry form.
<< Back to Web Design articles |
