8 Website Design Tips to Help Retain Visitors

Poor website design turns off Internet users. Whether they intend to or not, they perceive your business as less credible and less trustworthy when the web design isn’t good. Here are seven things you should always include in your web layout to present a visually appealing website for visitors:

  • Use responsive design. Your website sometimes appears different when accessed from different devices. The variance is especially noticeable when you compare the mobile version to the desktop display. Even on desktops, the design can look different depending on what model computer the website visitor has. The problem this presents is your website will look bad on some devices. What’s the solution to the problem? Responsive website design. A website with responsive design automatically adjusts itself to display correctly depending on the specific device a user is accessing from.
  • Leave white space in your design. There should be a lot of “white space” in your web design to avoid overwhelming visitors. You should never try filling every possible space of virtual real estate on your website. It would be too cluttered, overwhelming, and confusing for users. White space, space that isn’t used, helps a person focus and relaxes his or her mind. Providing enough white space will indirectly improve your conversions.
  • Improve navigation. Your navigation bar is another critical component of your website layout. Every item in the menu must serve a purpose toward turning visitors into customers. This doesn’t mean to go into sales mode. It means to only allow your best content that guides people to converting to show up in the menu. If it isn’t essential, leave it out. Delete any distractions from your navigation as well because they may prevent someone from converting.
  • Invest in a professional logo. Your logo represents your brand; you don’t want to skimp on having a logo created for your business. If you value cheap over quality in the logo, that will send the wrong message to visitors. They will wonder if your business is reputable or experienced if the logo is subpar. Your logo should appear in the upper left corner of your website. Consider having it link to your home page as well.
  • Follow a color palette for your brand. Colors impact a buyer’s decisions. Have you noticed many restaurants use red in their decor and logos? Red stimulates appetite. The colors you choose for your brand should reflect how you want your customers to feel and what service or product you provide. The color scheme for your website should be in line with your brand’s color palette.
  • Use fonts that are easy to read on all devices. Responsive website design won’t save you from a bad font. You should check that the font you’re using is easy to read on all devices, so you don’t lose any potential customers. When it comes to your website’s font, it’s best to go with a universal standard font, nothing fancy. The simple fonts that people are used to reading are easiest on their eyes.
  • Abandon Flash and adopt HTML5. Flash is no longer user-friendly, and it is no longer considered a standard. HTML5 is well-received, user-friendly, and more popular than Flash. Many website owners have switched to HTML5 for these reasons. According to Darrell Benatar, the CEO of UserTesting.com, “HTML5 is gaining more support on the web, with search engine friendly text and the ability to function on many of the popular mobile operating systems without requiring a plug-in. The same can’t be said for Flash.”

In summary, making sure every seemingly minor detail of your website design is top-notch and user-friendly is key to creating a professional layout that encourages conversions. Although you don’t want your website to look plain and boring, you must be wary of going overboard with design as well.

Too much going on with a website layout overwhelms website visitors and leaves them with a negative feeling. You’ll lose out on sales that way. To ensure you’re making as many conversions as possible, invest in a professional logo, use responsive design, leave white space in your design, improve navigation, use HTML5 instead of Flash, use fonts that are easy to read on all devices, and follow a meaningful color palette for your brand.

Read other articles on our blog to learn about how to improve your online marketing presence through web design and other tactics.