Website Design Principles Any Business Should Keep in Mind

Do you know what determines the success of a website? Many people think it’s visual design. They are not entirely wrong, though. But visual design isn’t the only factor. Functionality and usability are other factors that dictate whether a website will be a hit or a miss.  

Visitors must not feel uncomfortable, lost, or frustrated when browsing it. If they do, they won’t return to your website again. In fact, around 88% of online shoppers won’t revisit a site after a negative experience.

Your website—your online storefront—should be welcoming and easy to navigate, just like your physical store. 

You don’t need to be a design expert to get it right, however. Keeping just a few principles in mind can help you design a user-friendly site that aligns with your business goals. 

Here are some website design principles that can help any business, big or small, make a solid impression.

#1 Put User Experience (UX) First

If you walked into a store where the aisles were confusing, would you still search for what you need? Probably not—you’d walk away. That same rule applies to websites. 

Prioritize user experience. That is because 76% of visitors switch to competitors if a website’s UX is poor. 

So, design a website with your visitors’ needs, preferences, and convenience in mind. Your visitors won’t stick around if your site is cluttered, slow, or confusing. 

For a good UX, make navigation easy. Place important links, like contact, services, or about us, where they’re easy to find. Also, choose fonts that are easy to read and colors that are easy on the eyes. 

Avoid clutter and keep things simple. That way, your visitors won’t struggle to find what they need. 

#2 Mobile-Responsiveness isn’t Optional

Mobile shopping is taking over e-commerce transactions. 

An article published in Retail Brew suggests that mobile shopping will contribute to more than half of online sales—53%—this holiday season in the U.S. 

If your site doesn’t look good on a smartphone or tablet, you’re not just behind the times. But you’re essentially saying goodbye to a big chunk of potential customers. 

Mobile responsiveness means your site should adjust and look good on any screen, whether it’s a tiny phone or a large desktop monitor.

According to Business.com, you need to reorganize the desktop content into mobile-friendly versions to make your website mobile responsive. That can be a bit difficult if you try to do it manually, and time-consuming as well. 

An AI-powered website builder can make this process faster and more efficient by automatically optimizing layouts for various devices. 

These website builders feature mobile responsive templates, mobile editing, and device previews to make websites mobile-friendly from the get-go. Thus, they take the technical complexity of mobile responsiveness, so the level of experience required to create a mobile-responsive website is reduced. 

Once your website is ready, Hocoos advises testing it on multiple devices, including tablets, phones, and desktops, to make sure it functions well across all screens. 

#3 Optimize for Speed

Patience is a virtue, but the world is getting impatient. According to Psychology Today, the internet and smartphones, besides social media, are to blame for people’s impatience. 

If your website takes more than a few seconds to load, visitors will simply leave. Conversions can drop by 20% per second of site load time if your website doesn’t load fast. 

Optimize your website for speed. Most visitors expect a web page to load in no more than two seconds. 

So, how can you keep things speedy? Compress images, avoid heavy scripts, and steer clear of unnecessary plugins. There are plenty of tools, like PageSpeed Insights from Google, that can analyze your site speed and give you tips for improvement.

#4 Use Concise Text And Appealing Visuals

Less is truly more. Visitors don’t want to read long paragraphs or sift through walls of text. So, avoid using them to communicate your message. 

Use concise, punchy text instead. That will help them grasp the essentials right away. 

Write headlines that clearly state what you offer and short descriptions that hit the main points. Use simple and direct calls to action.  

Alongside concise text, appealing visuals can make a big impact. Don’t tell them too much; rather, show them. 

Visuals help break up text, add personality, and guide visitors’ eyes where you want them to go. Use high-quality images, engaging graphics, and even short videos to grab their attention and communicate your brand’s vibe without saying a word. 

Just don’t use too many images. It can slow down your site and distract visitors from your message. 

Designing a great website that is functional, user-friendly, and represents your brand might seem complex. But you can build a site that not only looks stunning and serves your customers effectively if you keep these principles in mind. 

A website is never truly finished but a work in progress. Test it often. Also, regularly update your content, check for broken links, and test new features or designs to see what resonates with visitors. That will keep your site relevant, functional, and engaging.