Thank goodness for the website design tips below because I really have no idea how to put up a website like this. In fact, it is a miracle that I was able to launch this website. If you are going to ask me about color combinations or color scheme my prompt answer is anything blue. What font style should be used? Uh… anything that is readable? How can you create a circle in Photoshop? Just look around, I have faith in you. These are the problems I have encountered while I am prepping up this website.
In a study by web designer Joseph Putnam which is featured in Forbes, the participants were asked why they mistrusted a website. The study revealed that “94 percent of the comments were directly related to web design elements, while only 6 percent referenced specific content.”
To put it simply, poor website design beats well-written content. Ouch. Moreover, if they mistrust your website because of its design expect low search engine rankings and below average online presence. Triple ouch.
Are you like me who wants to put up a website but your lack of designing skills prevents you from doing it? These are the techniques I have used that are easy to understand by non-designers:
Website Design Tip #1: Color Scheme
The colors in your website dictate its overall tone and appearance. Did you know that certain colors invoke emotions? A Business Insider article says:
- Yellow = grabs attention
- Red = creates sense of urgency
- Blue = represents trust and security
- Green = symbolizes wealth or money
- Orange = is good for call-to-action and impulsive buying
- Pink = entices women shoppers and traditional buyers
- Black = markets luxury products
- Purple = markets anti-aging products
Little did we know that colors in a website can be used to attract more visits? This is why a color scheme is important. You may try the following links if you do not have an eye for this kind of stuff:
- Color Hunt
- Coolors
Website Design Tip #2: Typography
Typography is the “study of the design of typefaces, and the way in which the type is laid out on a page to best achieve the desired visual effect and to best convey the meaning of the reading matter,” BusinessDictionary.com defines. The way you present the texts on your website should not only be readable but also tasteful and appealing. Practical Typography shared a few basic tips such as:
- Point size should be 15-25 pixels on the web
- Avoid goofy fonts, monospaced fonts, and system fonts
- Put only one space between sentences
- Use underlining only in hyperlinks
- Use centered text sparingly
Choose the best font combination from these websites:
- Google fonts
- Typewolf
- Font Pair
- Fontjoy
Website Design Tip #3: Website Logo
AllBusiness.com lists 14 reasons you need marketing materials like a logo and one benefit that stands out from the rest is: “A well-designed logo can have many subtle meanings and can begin to tell the story of how you do business, including the special practices that make you stand apart from the competition.” Big companies spend millions of dollars for its logo design. The most expensive according to online magazine Think Marketing is the BP (British Petroleum) logo which costs $211,000,000. At the end of the price spectrum, Nike’s “Swoosh” is only $35! While Coca-Cola’s logo costs nothing as in free of charge. Free logo, huh? Visit the sites below and create yours:
- Adobe Spark: Free Logo Creator
- YouiDraw: Logo Creator
- Logomakr
- Logojoy
Website Design Tip #4: Theme or Layout
What is the first thing you look out for when you visit a website? Is it the search button, about us, contact us or the latest blog post? Whichever you fancy make sure your website is easy to navigate and have consistent layout. It should be functional and user-friendly. How can a non-designer layout a website like a pro? Follow these practical design tips from Marc Hemeon:
- Almost black is easier to read than pure black. Use its hex color code: #333333.
- Display important content first.
- Apply fixed alignment.
- Design in black and white first. Color it afterwards.
- Make sure your website is responsive or mobile-friendly.
This website is using WordPress.org and although there are free themes, it is okay to splurge a little like looking into the web templates from ThemeForest, Creative Market, Mojo Themes or WooThemes. After all, you need to impress your visitors, especially, the first-timers. On the other hand, some of you might have strict budget, like yours truly. Fortunately, there are free WordPress page builders that could save you from the trouble of hiring a website designer. Just go to WordPress.org, click the Plugins menu, type the keywords “page builder” in the search box, and hit enter.
Website Design Tip #5: High Quality Images
There are two paths you will likely tread when it comes to choosing images: free or paid. Which one is better? If quality is more important to you, price doesn’t matter. Other than quality you must consider the following according to WebpageFX:
- Is the image relevant to my website?
- Does it possess an emotional appeal?
- Is the image relates to my brand?
- What kind of message does the image conveys?
- What will my visitors think of this image?
Got a limited budget? Free quality photos are rare and a goldmine. Take a peek at these websites and you might find the image you are looking for:
- StockSnap.io
- Unsplash
- Pexels
- Pixabay
Be mindful on how you design your website because it is your virtual office on the web. What kind of image do you want to portray the moment they step inside your website? Design elements like the logo, color scheme, images, and even the typography you used on your website represent your brand image and identity. This is also useful to execute your content marketing strategies. It sounds cliché but remember: “First impression lasts.”