Every organization, business or startup wants a beautiful and well organized website that entices visitors and clarifies what the business does, sells and believes in. Web design has come a long way since Tim Berners-Lee published the first web site in 1991. The World Wide Web, aka Internet, has absolutely changed the way the world communicates, and how many of us do business. An organization needs to have a rocking web presence if they want to reach new clients, donors or users.
The Internet has the potential to empower individuals and businesses by increasing their presence and broadening their scope of availability to potential customers.These days, it’s pretty easy to get a website up, but web design has absolutely developed into an art form that can help bring customers in and keep them around, appreciating your product or service every step of the way. Even better if you are able to offer your products or services for sale over your website- this immediately opens you up to a nationwide and even global consumer base!
Creating a great website begins with fantastic web design. Professional web designers are artistic professionals who not only know how to build and organize sites, but also tend to the aesthetic and overall usability of the site. Web designers have a few simple tricks to make content easily digestible for users, and we are happy to share a few of these tips with you:
Use Large, Simple Fonts
By implementing a simple and elegant font, customers are able to easily read content and can digest information quickly. As a general consensus, a 12 px font is too small for the average reader, especially when the average screen is 24 inches from the viewer. Limited attention spans mean that the site only has a few seconds to catch the viewers’ attention. Great web designers use large fonts, especially for headlines and important points. A 14 px font in the general minimum, but 18 px is a good average for ease. It’s also important to note that not all fonts display at the same size, so a 16 px Arial font could actually look smaller than another font. Always test your fonts with a variety of users to ensure it’s easy to see. We created a website for Exhibit Services Company that utilizes a unique statement font to engage users and uphold the brand.
Contrast Font Color with Background
Since we’re talking about fonts, another important aspect is to use high contrasting fonts. High contrasting fonts stand out well from any background coloring on the webpage. If the background of the page is white, then any darker font will usually stand out well enough for easy readability. If you’re going with a colored background, it is important that the font be very well contrasted so that readers can easily pick out the content. White or light font coloring stands out well on darker backgrounds, preventing viewers from an experience of strain and frustration. We created a website for Health is a Habit that uses excellent contrast to display page links and to improve readability.
Avoid Too Much Movement
Sliders are very popular additions to web pages because they allow a company to showcase various offers or products on a single page, usually the homepage. While sliders are beneficial because they expose viewers to various deals or information up front, they can also be distracting and can have negative effects if they are used improperly. The main problem with sliders is that viewers who are slower at reading, vision impaired, or are quickly scanning often are not able to grasp the message in its entirety before the slider moves on to a new photo or topic. If is being showcased on a slider is truly important to the success of the business, it should be displayed in full form in an easy-to-read manner. For example, Summit mortgage, the thousand oaks mortgage company we created a new website for last Fall, utilizes a slider that is engaging and purposeful without being overly distracting and causing users to chase information.
These are just a few simple tips and tricks for creating a web page that is both reader-friendly and engaging. Wheel Media loves working with clients to create a web presence that is targeted, authentic, and easy for customers to utilize.
Categories: Detroit News , Social Good Marketing , Web Design
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