A Good Web Design Defined

20 May A Good Web Design Defined

If you’re trying to build your net presence, having a killer web design is the first step. But what, exactly, counts as a great web design? That can be a tricky question, and not everyone in the professional web development world agrees on the answer. But in general, here are five things that will always be true of an outstanding website:

1. Users Want to Look at It: Appearance
   This is as basic as it gets: A good web design needs to be attractive. (Objective analysis has found that users tend to find simpler designs to be more attractive than busy ones, but otherwise quantifying attractiveness is too big a topic to fully explore in this post.)
2. Users Enjoy What They Find on It: Content
   Web users demand a lot more substance than some people expect, and you can’t woo them with good graphics but a complete lack of content. Around 61% of Internet users around the world research products online before buying, for example, and they want the websites they’re researching on to provide them with informative, well-written copy. The good news for businesses is that the strategy of producing this informational content, called content marketing, costs about 62% less than traditional marketing all while generating about three times as many leads.
3. Users Can Do What They Want on It: Functionality
   Users need to be able to accomplish whatever task or goal they’re coming to your website for, whether that’s buying a product or signing up for an event. Core features should be tested multiple times before launch to ensure they’re working properly. The exact functionality of a site will depend on its purpose, but it’s important that a site’s functionality is consistent with its branding (i.e., what the company promises the website will do).
4. Users Easily, Intuitively Navigate It: Usability
   This one is connected to functionality; not only should site visitors be able to fulfill their goals on a website, they should be able to do so easily and intuitively, without jumping through frustrating hoops. User experience is a top factor in conversions (site visitors who decide to actually become customers), so it can’t be ignored.
5. Users Can Find It: Search Engine Optimization
   There’s no sense in having an awesome web design if people can’t even find the website — and, by and large, people find websites through search engines. That means it’s incredibly important to invest in a robust SEO strategy. SEO pays off, too: Organic search leads have a close rate of 14.6%, as opposed to only a 1.7% close rate for outbound marketing techniques.

Do you agree or disagree with these? Share your feedback in the comments