Any business today that wants to succeed and thrive needs to have a professional website. It is said that first impressions are everything, and this is absolutely true of web design. Businesses only have a few seconds to capture and keep the attention of a visitor to their site, so it is imperative that the overall design is simple, clean, and concise. Visitors need to be able to navigate the website with ease and locate the information that they are seeking right away. A smart and simple design will generate more leads for a business.
Avoid Alienating Visitors
Although the web has been around for years now, many older individuals are not completely comfortable navigating the information highway. People with little online experience can quickly become overwhelmed. If a website design is too busy, flashy, and cluttered, inexperienced web users are more likely to just click away. Complicated web designs that require effort in order to find the pertinent info are not going to be effective at attracting new leads, and will instead end up alienating visitors.
Easy on the Eyes and Ears
A simple web design should have minimal graphics, which are carefully chosen to best represent the business. Only a few fonts should be used, and the size should be easy to read. Color is also important, as the font color must be dark enough to be readable on a clean, white background. Accent colors should be complimentary and kept to a minimum.
A good website designer knows that less is more, especially when it comes to a business website. The main focus should always be on the content. A few decorative elements may be suitable, but keeping the layout clean and fresh is always best. Music that begins playing automatically should be avoided, as it can be an annoyance to web users visiting a site from work, or listening to their own audio. Fresh, modern, and simple designs win out over flashy, cluttered ones.
Simple Navigation
The navigation is one of the most important elements of any website design. The fewer tabs, pages, or sections that a site has, the better. Each tab or page should be clearly marked and contain the relevant content. One main navigation bar is enough for a business website, as it allows users to quickly and comfortably find the details that they seek.
Clear and Concise
Business websites should be created in order to attract new customers and clients, as well as offer information for current and returning customers. Visitors to a site want to be able to find out the important information quickly, so a simple design makes it much easier to scan and get the details. Maintaining content that is up to date, useful, and can be easily scanned will increase the chances of generating new leads.
Fast Loading
Websites with a lot of graphics and media take far longer to load than simple pages. If a site takes too long to load, many users will just click out and move on to the next. This means that a business never even has a chance to make a first impression, because visitors are not going to wait around. Web users expect to find the information that they seek right away, so businesses would be wise to deliver with a fast loading site.
A business website has the potential to generate an incredible amount of new leads. By keeping the web design clean, easy to navigate, and easy to scan, businesses can ensure that they are not alienating older and inexperienced web users. Websites are an integral part of business today, so the simplicity of the design is key.
Author Bio: Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he explains the benefits of a well designed website for universal access and aims to encourage further study with a masters degree in gerontology.