What you need is to solid plan\u2014one backed by statistics and testing to ensure the best results for your visitors, Google crawlers, and, of course, you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this guide, we\u2019ll tell you some of the best web design practices you can use to build something that does more than looking nice\u2014a website that acts as a consultant to help you get more customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why Web Design Best Practices Are So Important<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your customers care about design, which is why you should, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Web design best practices ensure your audience perceives your brand in a positive light. This way, the chances of them remaining on your page and learning more about your business gets higher. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the business world, experts have found that users quickly judge your business based on visuals alone, and if your site doesn\u2019t do much for them, they\u2019ll end up abandoning it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just take a look at these stats: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- 75% of users<\/a> judge a company\u2019s credibility based on visual design alone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- It takes visitors just 0.05 seconds<\/a> to form a first impression of a website design. Yes, we mean 50 milliseconds<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Nearly 38% of people<\/a> will stop engaging with a website if they find the content and layout unattractive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
We react to visuals, whether consciously or not, and are naturally drawn to good design. It\u2019s also why well-designed websites convert better than poorly designed ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For us, a good design involves two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Form<\/strong>, which focuses on the look and feel of your website.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Function<\/strong>, which focuses on how your website performs and converts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You have to make sure your business has both aspects set up optimally, which is where web design best practices come into the picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few ways ensuring good web design can improve your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Better Navigability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Navigation is a vital aspect of website design. You should keep the choices as simple as possible to make your website easily navigable, which, in turn, will make it easier for visitors to decide where to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try to limit the number of options to seven or less. Or better yet, you can categorize your options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take our Crazy Egg website, for example: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/21102123\/image1-17-1024x559.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ve categorized our options under five categories: Features<\/em>, Crazy Egg For<\/em>, Resources<\/em>, Legal<\/em>, and Social<\/em>. Visitors can go through these categories before selecting an option that fits best. This makes the site more navigable than presenting the menu in a single line without categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Higher Functionality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your website design should make things easy to find, whether it\u2019s your contact information, product or service information, or your \u2018About Me\u2019 page. Following web design best practices helps enhance usability by informing you about standard conventions like putting your primary services on your main navigation, with your phone number on the upper right-hand corner of your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interestingly, a study found that even if you have a perfectly functioning website, bad web design will make your users feel it\u2019s harder to use. So a good web design not only affects usability but also our perception<\/em> of usability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Improved Brand Credibility<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Web design best practices can also help your brand appear professional and trustworthy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A good web design improves your credibility through brand consistency. If you have a well-established brand, your customers will probably recognize your website logo, colors, or style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s why your website design should reflect your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/21102115\/image4-1-1024x503.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nJust take a look at the FedEx website. Even if you couldn\u2019t read the logo, you\u2019d recognize the purple, orange, and white color scheme. That\u2019s what you should aim for, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Better SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The whole point of having a website is to further your business interests. Precisely why a good web design isn\u2019t limited to just visual elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You have to go behind the scenes and get the coding right. For instance, you want your web pages to load fast, as otherwise, your visitors will go away. Even your content should be optimized so that it ranks higher in the SERPs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Web designers tend to get carried away with clever designs and technologies, and while these may look great, it ultimately hurts your site\u2019s optimization. Your goal should be to create a simple, fast, and optimized website that helps bring business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Quick Tips to Improve Web Design Best Practices Today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Keep reading to know the website design best practices that helped us achieve our target goals and create an optimized website fit for the changing times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Design an Effective Layout for Your Web Pages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your webpages should be set in a way that provides an excellent user experience for your audience to reduce abandonment rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Page layouts can, of course, differ depending upon the page, but it\u2019s best to stick to a general layout for similar page types for site consistency and cohesiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let\u2019s take Macy\u2019s, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/21102112\/image5-1-1024x465.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThey\u2019ve chosen a grid for most of their pages that showcases their product categories, along with their products. This maintains consistency throughout the website, allowing users to know what to expect while browsing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, you should design a page layout to build a more consistent and familiar site for your audience that encourages them to continue browsing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Compress All Your Website Images<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You should always select high-quality images over grainy or low-resolution images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Images are valuable for your site, helping create interest points, breaking up text, and making your website appear trustworthy. They also influence your site speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to MachMetrics<\/a>, a site speed monitoring company, the ideal website loading time is just three seconds. But if you look at industry standards, you\u2019ll realize that most websites load much slower than that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem is that visitors have short attention spans, which is why longer loading times can harm your business. If you want to boost conversions, you have to think of ways to reduce page load times, and compressing images is one of the best methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try to upload compressed images that are smaller or appropriately sized than what the screen size states. Additionally, you can use image compression plugins like a WP Smush<\/a> to do the job for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/21102117\/image3-2-1024x505.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nApplying these practices will get your pages to load faster despite the high multimedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Utilize White Space Optimally<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
White space, also called negative space, gives website elements room to breathe visually. It ensures your website doesn\u2019t look overcrowded, so your visitors stay on it for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Unfortunately, though, you\u2019ll find plenty of cluttered website designs all over the internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to extreme mistakes, you\u2019ll also find the more subtle ones, such as the improper use of margins in padding, haphazard image and copy placement, and other elements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Crazy Egg, we’ve made a point to leave plenty of white space between elements. Take a look at this example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ceblog.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/21102120\/image2-3-1024x487.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAs you can see, there’s plenty of space between the copy and different blog pages and a decent line height between the main heading, the most popular categories, and the margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We didn’t want to overwhelm our visitors\u2014something you should ensure as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make Your Website Mobile-Responsive<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Not having a mobile-responsive website is equivalent to missing a prime opportunity to boost sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Considering that nearly 50% of Internet traffic<\/a> comes from mobile devices, you should take the necessary measures to create a mobile-responsive website. This will help you boost user engagement and earn more conversions, especially since 67% of users<\/a> are more likely to buy from a mobile-friendly company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s best to integrate a responsive design that lets your site adapt to whatever device your visitor uses. So whether it\u2019s a smartphone or tablet, your website will adjust to fit the device\u2019s screen automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ultimately, you\u2019ll be able to provide a better experience for your audience and keep them engaged for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Long-Term Strategies for Web Design Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The following is a list of strategies you can implement to improve your website design, helping you get better results, albeit in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Getting the Accessibility Standards Right<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Accessibility is critical for every website, so sacrificing it for a beautiful design is one of the biggest mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accessibility refers to the practice of making a website usable for everyone, regardless of the hardware, software, language, abilities, and location. When you have an accessible website, you can bring in a network of people, which will help you win more business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow these tips to make your website more accessible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Install and activate the <\/strong>WP Accessibility<\/strong><\/a> plugin. <\/strong>This plugin adds several accessibility features, such as a toolbar where users can resize fonts, view your site in high contrast and grayscale, remove title attributes from images inserted into content, and enable skip links (internal pages that let users skip directly to the content).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Create keyboard-accessible links and menus for people with disabilities.<\/strong> Design your website to make it navigable for people who can only use the keyboard and not a mouse. For instance, you can assign shortcuts for each drop-down item.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add subtitles or a transcript for audio and video. <\/strong>You should strongly consider adding subtitles or a transcript for your audio, audiobooks, podcasts, and videos to make it easier for deaf or mute people to understand your content, as well as people who cannot consume media in public.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Test your website for accessibility.<\/strong> The Web Accessibility initiative<\/a> endorses a list of tools you can use to audit your efforts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Making your whole website accessible can be a tedious process, but it can be incredibly helpful to boost your income. It helps foster inclusivity and even awards SEO benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep Website Security Super Tight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Contrary to popular belief, even small websites are vulnerable to cyberattacks. This is because hackers don\u2019t actively seek out specific websites to hack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, regardless of your website size, your security levels should always be tight. Plus, users only share their sensitive information with people they can trust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s what you can do to maintain high website security levels:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pick a Secure Web Host<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
You may think your web host doesn\u2019t have anything to do with site security. The reality, however, couldn\u2019t be any more different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Considering that 41% of attacks occur through a security vulnerability on the hosting platform, you should be extra vigilant when selecting a web hosting provider. Look for options that offer server-side firewalls, encryption, antivirus and anti-malware software, on-site security systems, SSL certificate and CDN availability, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keep Your Credentials Secure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can have a separate\/hidden login page to limit the number of login attempts to prevent unauthorized access to your website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alternatively, you can download the Login LockDown<\/a> plugin that records the IP addresses and timestamp of every field of the login attempt and locks down the login function if the number of failed attempts from the same IP range is reached in a short period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You must also have a secure password that contains more than six characters and be a mixture of both upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. It should be updated frequently, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can also use two-factor authentication for extra security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regularly Update the WordPress Core, Plugins, and Themes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t blindly download plugins or themes for your website. It\u2019s best to select options that have multiple installations and have been recently updated. You should also read customer reviews to understand whether the theme or plugin is worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wordfence<\/a>, Sucuri<\/a>, and Defender<\/a> as some of the best WordPress security plugins that can detect malware and keep your website safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get an SSL Certificate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The SSL certificate encrypts information sent over the networks, making it hard for hackers to decode it. Besides, it\u2019s also an industry standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chrome notifies visitors whenever they visit websites that don\u2019t have an SSL certificate and is also deprecating legacy TLS versions and showing additional warnings. Plus, enabling HTTPS, which is a part of installing an SSL certificate, affects your rank in the search engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nail the Web Design Best Practices Standards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When we use the word \u201cstandards,\u201d we’re referring to the most common design approaches adopted by websites around the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a list of some of the most common elements:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Images<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Skip graphics or animations in favor of images with human faces. Your visitors are more likely to engage with the image of humans since that\u2019s how we\u2019re wired.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add ALT text to your images as they cannot be processed while using screen readers. It\u2019s also necessary for SEO reasons.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add favicons. These are small icons that show up next to the website title and in search results, promoting brand recognition and enhancing your website’s user experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Add responsive images to your website that can grow or shrink depending on the browser size. This way, both your site speed and SEO will be optimal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
Navigation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Add a search bar to allow your visitors to find content faster. This is a necessity for websites that have lots of content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Make your menu titles as descriptive as possible to make it easier for users to find items. Moreover, adding keywords through these distractions can help you gain more organic traffic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- When designing your website, follow the three-click rule. According to this, users should be able to find their content with no more than three mouse clicks. This is because users prefer navigating through a site instead of looking through the search results when possible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Restrict your menu items by keeping them at a maximum of seven. Not only will this lend a neater appearance to your website, but too many menu items may cause Google crawlers to interpret your website still hasn\u2019t decided on a specific niche.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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The Beginner's Guide to Website Design Best Practices<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Website design best practices can boost conversion rates if you know which ones matter. And these 16 best practices will have the biggest impact.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.crazyegg.com\/blog\/website-design-best-practices\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Beginner's Guide to Website Design Best Practices\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Website design best practices can boost conversion rates if you know which ones matter. 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- Create keyboard-accessible links and menus for people with disabilities.<\/strong> Design your website to make it navigable for people who can only use the keyboard and not a mouse. For instance, you can assign shortcuts for each drop-down item.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Function<\/strong>, which focuses on how your website performs and converts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- It takes visitors just 0.05 seconds<\/a> to form a first impression of a website design. Yes, we mean 50 milliseconds<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n