More than half of U.S. companies — 73% to be exact — use website design to help their brand stand out from competitors. That number alone says a lot about the importance of a high-quality, aesthetically pleasing web design.
Not only that, but 38% of site visitors will stop engaging with a website if it’s unattractive.
Your website’s design is extremely important to your brand, customer loyalty, and even sales. If you’re unsatisfied with your current site, it’s time to improve your web design.
On this page, we’ll give you seven website improvement ideas to help you improve web design instantly. Although the results can take time to surface, the ideas we provide will immediately improve the overall look of your website.
If you’re ready to learn how to improve website design, keep reading! And don’t forget, if you want to receive a steady flow of tips like these, sign up for our Rev Weekly email!
7 website improvement ideas to enrich your brand online
If you’re unsatisfied with how your current site looks or performs, create a website improvement plan.
When you create a website improvement plan before anything else, you’ll have a blueprint for how you’ll improve your web design, which will make the process run smoothly.
Use the seven website improvement ideas below to help you create an actionable website improvement plan, and if you feel like you need some guidance, WebFX is an award-winning web design agency that’s here to help!
1. Consult your style guide (or create one if you don’t have one)
A style guide is a huge piece of the puzzle when it comes to web design. Your style guide contains essential information about the aesthetic of all your marketing materials to keep designs consistent across platforms.
Your guide consistently helps create brand awareness and customer trust.
Style guides should include:
- Color scheme
- Company logo and how to use it
- Primary fonts (stick to two)
- How to use images on site pages
- How not to use images on site pages
- Button layouts
- Form field layouts
- Page layouts
- And more
If you’re not satisfied with the aesthetics of your site, your style guide can help you immensely.
If you find that your website uses colors that don’t fit your brand, uses too many fonts (or illegible fonts), or doesn’t have any kind of consistency, it’s time to use that style guide to your advantage.
Action item: Update the colors of your website to fit your style guidelines and ensure that you only use one or two fonts to keep your site organized and clean. If your site doesn’t use a content management system (CMS) theme that lets you easily change things, like color and font, consult a web design agency.
Although these small updates might not improve web design completely, they’re a great first step.
2. Test functionality
Your website likely features many buttons, forms, and internal links to other areas of your site. Outwardly, these elements might appear fine, but when was the last time you tested them?
Since 89% of users shop with a competitor after a poor user experience, it’s crucial that your site elements function properly to provide users with a memorable, enjoyable visit.
That said, you should set aside time to test your forms and run programs that help you find broken links, like Dead Link Checker.
3. Organize and simplify your navigation bar
Your navigation bar helps users get around your site easily. It provides visitors with a map of essential pages on your site and makes it easy for them to find what they’re looking for.
However, if your navigation bar is too complicated or overcrowded, you might overwhelm site visitors instead of helping them.
Try simplifying your navigation bar only to include the most specific umbrella categories covered on your page.
For example, if you’re a landscaping company, you may include tabs like “landscape design,” “landscaping services,” “garden center,” “gallery,” “about us,” and “contact” in your navigation bar.
From there, you can include other important pages that drop down when you hover over each broad category. Keep in mind that there is no need to list every product and service in your navigation bar — it’s only meant to help send users in the right direction based on what they’re looking for.
4. Use white space
White space is crucial to improving web design. So many businesses feel it’s necessary to cram information into every corner of a page, but that’s ineffective.
Without white space on your site pages, users can feel crowded and overwhelmed and may navigate away from your page.
When you use white space, however, your site elements will have room to breathe, and you won’t overwhelm visitors with your design or your information.
Check out the way toothbrush brand, Quip, uses white space on their website to give a feeling of freedom and space.
5. Optimize your page speed
To improve web design, you must consider every aspect of your website — not just the aesthetic parts.
Optimizing your website’s pages for speed is one of the best ways to improve user experience on your site, which can make your site more enjoyable to visitors.
Not only that, but your site will have a better chance at ranking highly in search results when Google knows that you provide a fantastic user experience to site visitors.
To improve your site’s page speed, consider the following website improvement ideas:
- Compress your images
- Condense GIFs
- Stay away from huge, heavy animations
- Clean up your code
These are just a few ways to improve your website’s page speed. If you need help implementing them, feel free to check out WebFX’s page speed optimization services and give us a call at 888-601-5359!
6. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly
Mobile-friendliness is more important than ever — especially because 74% of users are more likely to return to a website with a mobile version.
When you optimize your website to be mobile-friendly, it means that every user, no matter what device they’re using, will have the same great experience on your website.
This makes your brand more trustworthy and helps you increase sales since users shopping on mobile will stay on your site.
7. Use proper headings and subheadings in your content
Content is crucial for a successful website, but did you know that proper indentation and formatting of your content can help improve web design?
When you take the time to format your content correctly and make proper use of headings, it’ll make it easier for users to consume your content.
Even though content-heavy pages are all about the subject matter, design matters too. So, you should take care to format your content properly so that it fits the organized, aesthetically pleasing design of the rest of your site.
8. Don’t be afraid to use graphics, but don’t use too many
There’s a delicate balance between using just enough graphics and using too many.
To keep your written content from appearing as a long wall of text, you should take care to implement different kinds of multimedia throughout your content to break it up. This could include images, graphics, or videos.
When deciding how many graphics to use, keep in mind that their purpose is to support your content and enhance your design — not overwhelm your readers.
On a page that has about 500 words of content, you should aim to have at least one graphic. On a long-form page of content with upwards of 2500 words, you should aim to have anywhere from 3 to 5 graphics.
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WebFX can help improve your web design
If you’re unsatisfied with your current web design but aren’t sure what it needs to take it to the next level, WebFX can help.
Not only can we audit your current website to determine issues, but we can also help you brainstorm new design ideas, update your branding, improve your page speed, and so much more.
We can even design a website from scratch in just 30 days with our RainmakerFX program!
We’ve been creating beautiful websites for over a decade, and to date, we’ve designed more than 1100 client websites. Not to mention, we’ve also taken home more than 50 web design awards for our work.
Want to learn more about what clients think of us? Check out our 500+ raving client testimonials to get a better idea of why businesses trust their web designs and their marketing strategies to us.
If you’re ready to work with a web designer that can help improve your web design across the board, contact us online or give us a call at 888-601-5359!
The post Improve Web Design: 7 Site-Enriching Web Improvement Ideas appeared first on WebFX Blog.
Over the past week, I’ve been thinking a lot about George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. I have been thinking about white supremacy, the injustice that Black women and men are standing up against across the world, and all the injustices I can’t know, and don’t see.
The WordPress mission is to democratize publishing, and to me, that has always meant more than the freedom to express yourself. Democratizing publishing means giving voices to the voiceless and amplifying those speaking out against injustice. It means learning things that we otherwise wouldn’t. To me, it means that every voice has the ability to be heard, regardless of race, wealth, power, and opportunity. WordPress is a portal to commerce; it is a canvas for identity, and a catalyst for change.
While WordPress as an open source project may not be capable of refactoring unjust judicial systems or overwriting structural inequality, this does not mean that we, the WordPress community, are powerless. WordPress can’t dismantle white supremacy, but the WordPress community can invest in underrepresented groups (whose experiences cannot be substituted for) and hire them equitably. WordPress can’t eradicate prejudice, but the WordPress community can hold space for marginalized voices in our community.
There is a lot of racial, societal, and systemic injustice to fight. At times, change may seem impossible, and certainly, it’s been too slow. But I know in my heart that the WordPress community is capable of changing the world.
If you would like to learn more about how to make a difference in your own community, here are a few resources I’ve gathered from WordPressers just like you.
If you want to appeal to a wider audience, putting together a brochure can really help. And what better way to create a brochure than by using free brochure templates for Adobe InDesign?
These templates make it so easy to promote your business, services, or products — or even just spread valuable information — without having to go through the hassle of creating a template or brochure from scratch.
The ease-of-use factor, plus the convenience of just having to fill in blank fields, is what really pushes these InDesign templates over the top.
So go ahead and check out this collection of free brochure templates for Adobe InDesign. You’re certain to find something that suits your company or project.
More InDesign Templates:
Learn InDesign:
The Bi-Fold Corporate InDesign template is an excellent choice for those looking for fast results with minimal edits required. It’s built professionally with a fully-layered design and it can be used for multiple purposes. And since it’s easy to add custom text and images, you can export this template to a high-quality PDF in a matter of minutes.
With an easy-to-customize layout and eye-catching sample imagery, the Interior Design Brochure Template provides all the standard features you’d expect from a professional brochure: 30mm bleed, A4 & US Letter sizes, and free font and icon font support while maintaining a modern edge. Drag and drop photos to 12 custom pages.
If you’re looking to keep your brochure’s design clean and simple, the Soft and Clean Square InDesign Brochure Template ought to do the trick. Add a custom logo and text to 8-full color pages. The perfect choice for corporate brochures that need to stand out from the rest.
The Stylish Fashion Lookbook Brochure Template has a delicate air of sophistication without being overstated. This template is deal for fashion spreads thanks to a generous 14-page design, well-organized layers, and 1-click color changes. It’s print-ready and immediately elevates your content.
Your nursery, preschool, after school activity, or playgroup will thrive with this brochure template. Though designed with marketed to parents in mind, this brochure template is a colorful trifold that could be used for a brochure in any industry that requires a striking design and pops of color.
Promote a bed and breakfast, a hotel, or a weekend getaway with this Tri-Fold Hotel InDesign Brochure Template. This template is easy to customize. Just drag-and-drop in your photos, add your text, swap out colors, and you’ll be good to go. It also comes with the Cardo-Regular font, and has been adapted for use in massage and salon service industries as well.
This elegant and modern bifold brochure is perfect for any corporate setting, which covers a wide range of businesses. It’s also recommended for publishing and annual reports. Even company profiles can make use of this template. It has just two page designs but sometimes that’s all you need to get the job done. Sometimes, simple is better, and this brochure template does simple well.
What a cool design this template offers! The Futuristic Event Posters Set for InDesign can be adapted for brochures easily and is easy-to-edit and customize with your own text and images on the fly. It sports an A3, tabloid layout, is fully print-ready, and can make any event or announcement more than stand out.
If you have a specific product you want to promote and catch attention for, this InDesign Product Brochure Template will do the job and then some. This free offering offers a four-page layout with three content pages and front and rear designs. It’s simple, yet bold, allowing for full-page photography and/or pull quotes.
What a lovely template this is! The Blue Business Brochure Layout template is subdued and cool, yet absolutely ready to showcase your latest endeavor, promotion, or work. It’s easy to rearrange things as you see fit to accommodate your images and text. And it comes with 12 unique pages, so you’re certain to find a configuration that works for you.
This template is stylish and free-flowing, perfect for naturally-inclined businesses, restaurants, spas, and more. This is perfect for highlight menus or menus of services in a succinct way that gets your point across without overwhelming readers. Think brochures you get for local restaurants on your screen door — only better.
For corporate or industry-based businesses (like coal, oil, or electrical companies) this brochure template will fit the bill. Its simple trifold layout makes it easy to present info about your business in a succinct way, but still offers enough details to engage. Everything is fully customizable and it’s print-ready.
Promote your travel agency, booking agency, or time-share with this travel-inspired trifold brochure template. It can be used for any industry, really, and offers appealing vector images as a part of the deal. This free template can be customized easily and is ready-to-print as soon as you’re done designing.
When the festive time is upon us, sometimes it’s nice to embrace it whole-heartedly in your business promotions. This Retro Christmas Brochure Template is great for promoting flash sales, or for simply adding a retro holiday touch to any company’s products, services, or other offerings. This brochure template is print-ready and can be modified to suit any business.
So you see? There are plenty of brochure template options here to help you put together a stunning brochure no matter the industry you’re in. This collection of freebies are so good you can professionally present your company with ease. Which is just pretty great, if you ask us.
The post 10 Beautifully Designed Free Brochure Templates for Adobe InDesign appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. So many others. Their murders are tragic, and racism toward Black people is as pervasive as it is horrible. We must do everything we can to eradicate it.
I have been silent these past couple of weeks, listening and reading and watching and learning, but I am inclined to agree with the sentiment expressed so eloquently by Desmond Tutu:
If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.
Remaining silent makes room for other voices, but it also supports the status quo. Each of us has a voice, and that voice can be more powerful to our own circles of influence — however small — than the voices of others, even if theirs are more eloquent, more refined, and more important.
Here are my thoughts.
Violence
It’s important to understand why people are angry. This Twitter thread provides some insight into the injustices that Black people face in America. This Twitter thread simply asks, “how old were you when a cop first pulled a gun on you?”
If you want to speak out against violence, make sure you heed the advice of Randall Telfer and get your priorities straight:
You keep saying, “it’s horrible that an innocent black man was killed, but destroying property has to stop.”
Try saying, “it’s horrible that property is being destroyed, but killing innocent black men has to stop.”
Police brutality and the leaders who are encouraging and glorifying violence deserve nothing but our strongest condemnation.
In short, if you’re angry at protestors, I encourage you to educate yourself on what is really happening and why.
What can you do?
I am so inspired by all of those who are protesting, risking their safety against the dual threats of police violence and COVID-19, but you don’t have to protest to make a difference. Whether it’s speaking to friends and family, donating money to bail funds, or committing to anti-racism, there ar
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Sections Base – Use this free starter kit to build wireframes for your projects.
Nobody told me UX would be like this – The challenges of being a designer, learned through experience.
consoleimg – A tool that lets you view images in your developer console.
PureCSS Gaze – A drawing in the style of an Italian renaissance painting, hand-coded entirely in HTML and CSS.
Responsive web design turns ten. – Gather ’round and read the story of how responsive design came to be.
Getwid – WordPress Blocks – A free bundle of multipurpose blocks for the Gutenberg editor.
Rough Notation – A small JavaScript library that brings hand-drawn, animated notations to your website.
Handling Ethical Disagreements With Your Design Clients – Discover the process behind dealing with, and perhaps preventing, these unpleasant situations.
UX Details – Exploring design patterns and interactions across a range of digital products.
Global and Component Style Settings with CSS Variables – Create more manageable project styles and more portable patterns.
Hacked: What to Do When Your WordPress Website Has Been Compromised – Tips for restoring your hacked website and finding the point of attack.
patternico – A web-based tool for creating seamless patterns for your projects.
Using calc to figure out optimal line-height – Automatically set your line height to adjust to fonts large and small.
Bootstrap Breakpoints – A code snippet that will remind you which breakpoint you’re currently viewing.
Bootstrap Design – A thorough collection of Bootstrap components designed for Figma.
3D in Hand: Beautiful Business Cards with Holographic Effects – Get inspired by this collection of incredible business cards.
Blobs – Use this tool to generate unique SVG blobs.
The post Weekly News for Designers № 543 appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.
