Three Key Areas
When browsing a company’s website, people want clear navigation, attractive design, and access to relevant content. As companies evaluate their current website design, they should discuss with a web designer how to incorporate the features that users want, while maintaining website functionality.
Companies should prioritize implementing effective navigation, integrating visually pleasing designs, and curating social media and blog content to improve a user’s experience. According to a recent Clutch survey, we found that these top design features were essential for customer service.
Implement Effective Navigation
People prefer to view websites that are easy to use and navigate. The vast majority of people (94%) believe the most important and helpful website feature is easy navigation.
When a website provides users with a clear menu structure, it allows users to quickly and efficiently access desired content. For example,Cal-Tex Electric’s web design includes clear headers across the top of the page that makes it easy to find exactly what you are looking for. Businesses should seek to prioritize easy navigation for their users in order to maintain clear functionality on their site.
Create a Visually Pleasing Design
A visually appealing design will attract your target audience to your website. When site designs are visually pleasing to users, they enhance website content and help to build your brand’s reputation.
Many people (84%) think that having a visually appealing website design is a useful feature. When redesigning their website, it is important that businesses take their users into consideration, ensuring that their website design does not affect its functionality. The most popular web designs are flat design, skeuomorphic design, and rich design.
- Flat design uses two-dimensional elements, bright colors, and removes shadows or textures to make objects appear two-dimensional.
- Skeuomorphic design makes digital elements resemble their real-world counterparts so they appear more familiar to the viewer’s eye.
- Rich design makes elements feel more three-dimensional and usable to people viewing the website.
Visuals showcase a company’s main offerings to users. Most people (91%) think that visuals and descriptions are equally important tools on a company’s website.
Businesses can blend the elements of both flat and rich designs as a more intuitive approach in creating digital design elements. This is a subtler approach than changing website design, which will improve usability without implementing drastic changes. A “flat-ish” design will establish a timeless design that companies can use for many years.
Consider what design best fits your brand message and execute the design well so your website represents the quality of your company.
Curate Social Media and Blog Content
Links to social media sites are important for users browsing your website. Many people (67%) believe that website links to a company’s social media accounts are useful. About 40% of people (37%) think links to social media profiles are extremely useful. Only 13% of people think they are not useful.
Users often turn to social media for information about a company out of convenience. Businesses should use social media to connect with their users on a more informal platform. Content on social media should be just as current and useful as content on a company’s website.
People want more personal interactions with companies, so companies should use the interactive features of social media, like direct messaging, to communicate with users. Instagram, for example, displays a small green dot to indicate if a user is active and currently online.
Icons for different platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter tell users where they can find a company on social media. Companies can even customize these icons, if desired, to match their brand and blend icons seamlessly into their website.
People spend a lot of time on social media, making it an ideal platform for businesses to connect with users on a more personal level. By growing its online presence, a business can best meet the needs of its target audience.
Businesses should also invest in blog content. Roughly half of website users (50%) believe company blogs are useful. Company blogs hosted on a company website help SEO by providing opportunities for internal and external linking.
Blog posts must be thoughtful, and include specific content to enhance a company’s brand authority and keep the content on a company’s website as current as possible.
Make Your Web Design Stand Out
When evaluating website design, companies should consider incorporating features to improve the user’s experience. If unsure exactly how to incorporate these features, then hire an experienced web designer to help out. By focusing on implementing effective navigation, visually pleasing design, and social media/blog content, a company can create a user-friendly platform. Contact 8bistudio to discuss making your website stand out.
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