Achieve Greater Success with These Web Design Best Practices

As we begin a new decade, small business owners are smart to stay on the cutting edge by making sure their websites are formatted correctly and engaging to all who visit. After all, people are more tech savvy than ever, so there is no shortage of consumers using the web to satisfy their personal and business needs.

To attract new customers and retain current ones, you want a website that is easy to navigate and provides an accurate picture of what you and your business is about.

What is the ideal web design for the New Year? Follow these hints and tips.

1. Optimize your homepage for speed. When Google began using algorithms in 2018 to determine how fast a page loaded, websites with the fastest load speeds floated to the top of search results. If your webpage loads quickly on both desktop and mobile, your website will rank higher giving it a much greater chance of being visited.
2. Be a good host. A website must be simple and easy to use. Making sure it is mobile-friendly is key because most searches are now happening via cell phones rather than desktops. Your site should have clean lines and eye-catching detail. Use negative space wisely and have a cushion between text, images, and headings. Reduce animations and use contrasting colors.
3. Be the guiding hand. It has been proven that people do not react well when presented with more choices. Help ease a visitor’s angst by providing less choices and directing them to where you want them to go. This can be accomplished by suggesting they fill out a form or embed links into the text, so with a simple click, they immediately arrive at the page you want them to be on.
4. Some things never change. When it comes to formatting, it is essential to keep your logo in the top left, your contact in the top right, the main navigation bar horizontal across the top of the page, and a search tool in the header with a sign up box in the footer. Studies have found that consumers are most comfortable with this design because it is familiar to them, so stick to what is tried and true.  
5. Some things will always change. Search engines update their algorithms and standards often. To keep ranking highly in the results, make sure your website’s onsite SEO is up to date.
6. Don’t forget about YOU! Your website needs to reflect who you are and what you are all about. Even though you are not a brick and mortar shop, people still want to buy from someone they believe they know and feel they can trust. To accomplish this, be consistent with your branding and write content that is factual and engaging. Keep things interesting! Update your website with new content on a regular basis and rewrite your ‘About’ page periodically to keep it fresh.  

Get Ready for a Successful Year!

After following the above suggestions, your user-friendly website will be ranking high in search results and your conversion rate will increase. Now you can smile with confidence and focus on what you do best – taking care of your regular customers and welcoming many new ones.

2020 is going to be a magnificent year!

If a new website design is on your list for the New Year, Higgins Marketing Group can help. Contact us for a “no pressure” initial chat! Not sure yet, check out our work and let us know when you’re ready.

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