Top 5 Website Design Standards We Agree/Disagree With + Three Bonus Standards

The industry standards of website design that we at Crafted Websites believe in and commit to using are as follows:

1. Web Design Simplicity

On the odd occasion when visiting websites, we have found too many moving parts that harm the user experience (UX). Too much going on with a web page can become distracting and even harmful to some people. I remember when a client told me that they wanted a website that looked like another but, as they were scrolling through, they found one aspect of the website too much, so they told us to disregard those elements. Currently, websites need minimal information, a call to action, and a design that is aesthetically pleasing to the user’s eyes. This, of course, does depend on the industry that you are building for – a pop 90’s podcast will most likely have more movement than an investment broker

2. Visual Hierarchy

Have you ever seen a webpage start with an element that you found unnecessary to start off with? In most cases, not many. The importance of a great header or introduction to your website is key as that is the first piece of content your intended audience will see. It needs to be striking, leading them to ask a question in their mind and it should intrigue them to want to see more – a great question and tagline is a simple, yet timeless way to always achieve this goal. The process of scrolling through your website is also key as the question needs to be answered or at least what you do and what you can offer them. There are many variations to this, and it’s never an exact science but having a flow to your website that keeps the user engaged is very important. Additionally, Call To Action (CTA) buttons allows the person to instantly get to where you need them to be if they choose to do so during this journey. From the start, a CTA button is key to leading your potential lead to fill out a form or give you a call.

3. Website Responsiveness

In the growing world of mobile phones, the need to have a website adapt to mobile view is essential. Have you ever had a website ‘glitch’ out on you where the text is off the page, or an image looks like it’s not supposed to be there? This is where having a responsive website is key as a website that does not have this, again, can harm your user experience and therefore your conversion rate of business.

4. Ease Of Navigation

Have there been times when you wanted to get to the next page where a section was hinting for you to go to but there were no buttons to click on? Navigation helps people find what you need them to look for. If there is no button or pronounced linked text, the user is left stranded which could create frustration and the loss of a lead.

5. Consistency

The colour, font, and image of the business needs to be kept consistent throughout the website as you never want your audience to think that you’ve sent them to another website when they go to another page. It also creates this perception that there is a continuation, that the journey has not ended yet. This continuation ensures that your potential client understands your brand which allows them to identify you with other things such as social media posts or advertisements.

Bonus Standards

These aren’t the usual standards that are talked about in the industry but we believe they should come as standard with whomever you deal with when it comes to your website. These are standards that we have heard and seen over the years that tend to be missing, but this is not to say that all don’t have these – this mostly comes from feedback.

1. Communication

We see time and time again that businesses come to us looking for a re-design or stories where they spent too much on a website that has nothing to do with their business or where the designer/design team did not hear what the business wanted. There is a difference between listening and giving advice. We allow you to talk about your needs and then we come back with our advice as to how we see something better that could work, which leads on to the next point.

2. Honesty

We believe in being upfront and truthful about what we can and can’t do. This is how we build trust and prevent a situation where you don’t receive the product you were promised.

3. Free Demo

Our demos come free and standard as we believe in showing you our work ethic before you start, in that way, you can be certain of the work we do. The demos are never finished products so there are always issues such as links and colours. All that can be changed, but it allows you to see what we can do which has proven to be a great start before any commitment.

Conclusion

We hope you have learned something for the future when it comes to your website and working with a company to build it. If you haven’t found a company, consider Crafted Websites.

Crafted Websites

“Crafting Your Window To The World.”