If you are unhappy with your website for several reasons, it may be time for a redesign. A well-designed website is critically essential for any business, as it is often among the first impressions potential customers will have of your company. Luckily, several ways to improve your website design without starting from scratch.
One way to improve your website design is to focus on site speed. Site speed is the time it takes for your website to load. A slow site can frustrate visitors and cause them to click away from your site altogether. And not only is a slow-loading website terrible for users, but this technical oversight can also result in search engines ranking your site lower in search results.
Luckily, there are a few ways to improve site speed. Let’s discuss!
Use A Content Delivery Network
Whether you manage a large or small website, it contains many files. Therefore, the website server must quickly reply to these requests from visitors’ browsers so they can see your site.
If your site isn’t loading quickly, it could be because the server where your hosted site isn’t near to the location of the website visitors. The further the distance between the visitors, the more “hops” it takes for the data to travel and the longer it takes for your site to load.
You can solve this problem using a content delivery network or CDN. A CDN is a group of servers worldwide that deliver user content based on location. So, no matter where a user is accessing your site, they will receive content from a server close to them, resulting in much faster load times.
There are many CDN providers to choose from, so research before selecting one. You’ll want to consider cost, features, and supported technologies to ensure the best fit for your website.
Make Your Site Mobile-Friendly
Another way to improve your site design is to make it mobile-friendly. As far back as 2011, mobile internet users surpassed desktop users, so overlooking this demographic is a huge mistake.
A mobile-friendly site is responsive and compatible with mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. The website design automatically adjusts to fit the smaller screens of these devices. It must also have large enough font sizes and buttons that users can easily click with a finger instead of a mouse.
(If you don’t know if your site is mobile-friendly, you can test it using Google’s free Mobile-Friendly Test tool. Enter your URL, and Google will analyze your site and tell you if it needs work.)
Offer Users Accessibility Controls
When many people think about people with disabilities and website design, they only think about people who are blind or have low vision. However, many different types of disabilities should get considered when designing a website.
Some standard accessibility controls you can add to your site design include:
- Empowering users to adjust the font size or color scheme
- Offering a transcript or closed captioning for videos
- Including alt text for images
- Creating a simplified version of your site
While everyone won’t use these controls, they can make a big difference for those with disabilities. Adding them can also improve your website’s search engine optimization, which helps send visitors to your site.
Any company that supports inclusivity and wants to appeal to a broader audience should consider adding accessibility controls to its website design.
Make Use Of Negative Space
Negative space, also called whitespace, is the blank space on a webpage. Commonly, empty spaces help to divide space in the area between text, images, and other elements on your site.
Using negative space effectively can be difficult, but it’s essential to consider when designing your website. Too little negative space and your site will appear cluttered, making it difficult for users to find what they want or need.
On the other hand, too much blank space can make a site look unfinished or unprofessional. Therefore, it’s critical to strike a balance that makes your site easy to navigate without appearing too sparse.
Choose The Right Fonts
Your website fonts play an essential role in design and usability. Therefore, when choosing fonts, you’ll want to consider readability, style, and web-safe fonts.
Among the most important things to consider when selecting fonts is their readability. The text on your website should be easy to read, even for people with vision impairments. To ensure readability, use fonts that are simple and sans serif. These fonts are easier to read than script, ornate, or fonts with serifs.
It would also help to consider your site’s style when choosing fonts. The font you select should match the overall tone of your website. For example, a website selling children’s toys would want to use a playful font, while a more professional font is a better choice for a law firm.
Finally, you’ll need to consider web-safe fonts. These fonts are pre-installed on most computers and devices, so there’s no need to worry about users not having the font you want. While there are many web-safe fonts to choose from, some of the most popular include Arial, Times New Roman, and Courier New.
Website Functionality
These days, websites can serve as a business center that empowers users to do everything from book appointments to make purchases. However, if your website design focuses only on aesthetics, you miss out on a huge opportunity.
Some functionality ideas for your website include:
- Adding an online booking system
- Selling products or services at your site
- Offering customer support via live chat or a contact form
- Including a blog or news section
Adding even a few features can take your website design from good to great. Not only will your visitors appreciate the added convenience, but you’ll also see an improvement in your bottom line.
Final Thoughts
By taking the time to consider different aspects of your site, you can create a visually appealing but also user-friendly and accessible website. If you could use a hand to get your digital presence up to speed, the experts at Interactive Palette are here to help. Don’t hesitate to contact one of our web design professionals to learn more about how we can help you improve your website design.
