Excellent content is a good start, but you also need your content to be readable and pleasant to look at. Your website design is just as important as your content.
Why do I need to optimize my website design? To put it simply, it’s because your website is a tool that will help you convert a prospect into a customer. Here are five tips that will show you how to create a beautiful and professional website.
1 – Pay attention to colours
Colours are extra important since they’re usually one of the first things we notice, especially if they’re not quite our style. But don’t panic if you’re not an artist at heart. There are a few simple rules that will make choosing colours much easier. The best option is to limit yourself to 3 colours, using the “60/30/10” rule. This means that you’ll choose a dominant colour to take up 60% of the space, a second colour that contrasts the first and takes up 3-% of your site, and finally an accent colour that will highlight the remaining 10% of the space. Obviously, you don’t need to follow this rule at all costs, but it can still help guide your decisions.
2 – Make your text readable
It’s recommended to use traditional black text on a white background. Why? Because these days, 42% of French people surf the web on their cellphones. To make their reading experience pleasant, it’s best to avoid more original colours, as beautiful as they may be. Same thing goes for decorative fonts that are a little too extravagant. Though they’re pretty, they aren’t that practical. Also, try to avoid using too many different fonts. To maintain a professional look, we generally recommend a maximum of two fonts.
3 – Keep an eye out for trends
That’s right. Even for your website, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest trends. Surf the web, browse Pinterest and saturate yourself with the styles of the day to make sure you create a site that’s up with the times. This exploration will also help inspire you. The best way to improve is to see what everyone else is doing. But be careful. Remember that your goal is to outdo your competitors, not copy them. Take great caution to avoid plagiarism. You need to stay creative.
4 – Choose your visuals well
And for the sake of ease and aesthetics, it’s important to take the time to carefully choose your visuals, photos and videos. They need to be of excellent quality. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, right? No worries if you’re not a photography whiz. You have lots of options. You can always call on a professional, which will give you the chance to communicate your brand image with customized photos. Your second option is to go for stock photos. There are paid and free collections. The choice is yours.
5- Don’t write too much
A site that’s pleasant to read is quite spacious. Avoid big blocks of text that make our eyes glaze over. Reading on a screen is not always enjoyable, so avoid overloading Internet users with information that’s not necessarily very useful. Minimizing your text will make it easier for you to highlight the crucial information you want to communicate, and Internet users will be able to find what they’re seeking more easily and faster. Don’t be afraid of empty space. It will let your layout breathe
Key points to remember
- Your design is just as important as your content.
- 53% of Internet use happens on smartphones, so consider responsive design
- Keep it simple. Remember, the most important thing is readability
