Small business web design has important distinguishing features. This topic lists 6 time-saving web design tips to help start-ups and small businesses with website creation.
Let’s take a look at what’s popular and important in small business website design and come up with six valuable tips to help you design a website that will make it popular!
A beautiful resource or an ugly one is a very subjective concept. But a small business website serves to answer questions: who is the contractor, where is he located, how and under what conditions does he work. Therefore, the task of design is to give clear answers to these questions in the first place.
- Pay close attention to this:
- location of key information in a conspicuous place: address, phone, opening hours,
- availability for the target action form of communication,
- is it easy to find the information you need, is the site navigation clear,
- do not overload pages with widgets that slow down work from the site and distract from studying the content;
- whether the font size and line spacing are large enough for easy perception of text on a smartphone.
- These moments are very important for the perception of the website, and they can negatively affect the visitor’s movement along the path to the target action.
A successful online store or website requires not only an attractive design, but also great content. The resource should be designed in such a way as to provide a good user experience, user-friendly interface, while at the same time making it possible to understand the main theme of the site at a glance.
One picture is worth a thousand words. Images can convey the real value of the content, capture the user’s attention, and explain complex concepts.
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Always give visual design first priority.
We are all very visual beings. Think about it: what was the first thing you saw in this post? Words or photos? We easily perceive images and retain such information in memory for a longer time.
Hints:
- Images must demonstrate the purpose of the service or product
- The main image must be present on the main page
- Use only high quality images
- Optionally highlight the product image
- Pay attention to improving the design of the visual interface
- Integrate background images into your design
Note. Don’t use inappropriate but pretty images for your website design. Users will simply ignore them. Instead, choose photos that show how to use your product, then you will grab the attention of users with a visual design.
2.Use responsive (adaptive) design.
On March 26, 2018, Google officially announced the Mobile-Friendly Update. This update penalizes sites that are not mobile friendly.
We now live in a society that cannot do without mobile devices. When a user views your site on a mobile phone, they expect the content to be exactly the same as on a desktop or laptop. This requires a responsive design for users. Thus, responsive design is a necessary element for every website.
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Responsive design is comfortable to interact with.
A great interactive website design can add value and improve the user experience. By creating an interactive interface, you will make your site more attractive to users.
Hints:
- Use contrast in design and consistency when demonstrating product benefits
- Use modern dynamic effects – animation, parallax
- Avoid creating pop-ups
- Create simple and convenient forms with excellent design
A very important element of the site is the navigation menu. This is the only way for visitors to view your site in depth, as well as open other pages and learn more about your products. Therefore, it should be simple and intuitive. Make sure easy, accessible navigation is a priority when designing.
Hints:
- Use contrasting colors and readable fonts
- Limit the number of menu items to 7
- Too many menu items only confuse visitors – they need to devote more time to browsing. They may miss important pages.
- Make the interface simple and understandable for users. However, remember to focus on the product – show what it is and how it works.
- Give the user the opportunity to get all the information he needs in 3 clicks.
- Clicking on your brand logo should always direct users to the homepage
- Avoid dropdown menus
- Why you should avoid the dropdown menu:
It is difficult for search engines to view drop-down menus.
Users move their eyes faster than they move the mouse. When the user moves the mouse over the menu bar to click and too many options appear, they get confused and lost.
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Highlight the main point of your website.
Natural user audiences require that the main page expresses the essence of the website, is meaningful and at the same time not overloaded with content, and access to the main sections is intuitive.
Hints:
- Use bold text for headings and product information
- Show beautiful product images to attract users
Users can use different keywords to access your site, so you need to highlight your site’s main product and content. Make sure that the user immediately knows that your site is being sold.
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Use of free (empty) space
Free (empty) space creates a more balanced layout, more clearly showcases elemental effects and focuses users on the main thing. If a site has little free space and everything is crowded with text, it will be difficult for users to understand what the site is trying to convey.
It is good practice to leave enough space between words and graphic segments. This makes it easier to read. Also, limit the total number of design elements. If there are too many design elements, the user’s attention will be scattered. Facilitate the work of users by using search, it will guide the user and enable him to quickly find the information he needs.
