subject: Reasons Why You Need A Good Website Design [print this page] Good website design is crucial for the usability of a visitor. If a website does utilize a design friendly to visitors, they will not return. Using good website design allows you to retain visitors for a longer period of time.
Visitor's Attention
Grab your visitor's attention with simple, yet effective graphics. You want o focus the visitor's attention without annoying distractions such as video-based advertisements. Use visual elements to help a visitor to navigate your site. This can be done by using links that are well defined.
Writing Placement
Writing that is displayed on your website should be short and to the point. If you use long or drawn out phrases, your visitors will lose interest. The use of short phrases allows a visitor to quickly determine if they want to stay on your site. Do not use statements that appear like advertisements or appear tacky to visitors. The language that you use on your website should be plain and simple to understand.
Keep it Simple
Visitors to your website are more likely to stay if the design is simple, yet effective. Advertisements are common for websites but they should not be overused on the page. Make sure that the background of a page does not interfere with the text. Text that is on the screen should also be big enough for a visitor to easily read without being too big that it overpowers the page.
Site Navigation
The navigation of your site needs to be done with links or buttons on the page. One easy way to do this is to place a navigation bar across the top of the page. This allows a visitor to quickly go to other pages on your site. However, the navigation option that you use needs to be consistent throughout each of the subsequent pages. If your site is large with many pages, you can add an index page or a site map.
Graphics on Page
Any type of graphic that you include on the pages of your website should be labeled. This provides the visitor with a description of the graphic and why it is on the page. Limit the use of animated graphics if they are used on your site.
Tips
Avoid the use of large files that take time to load. Slow loading pages can be a turn off to a visitor. Use images or graphics to break up sections of text on the page.
