Currently, the awareness of the importance of UX is growing and it is mainly talked about in the context of the appearance of the website. However, let's not forget about the design. Why is it worth focusing on?
How the website design is created?
When deciding on a website design, we must first answer the question whether we want a unique design or choose a ready one. The latter solution is often used due to the lower cost as well as the large number of designs available.
We can find thousands of ready-made themes for the most frequently chosen CMS in the world, i.e. WordPress. They represent various styles and are dedicated to many types of websites. The advantage of choosing a ready-made design is savings and the possibility of a faster launching of the website. Themes are not only about design. By buying or downloading them (there are also free ones), we get a ready-made webpage that will also work on mobile devices.
The downside of ready-made themes is the fact that the design will never be unique, as it can be used by many users. Moreover, it cannot be fully adapted to our brand.
For this reason, some companies decide on dedicated projects. They focus on the visual identification of the brand and can express its unique character with the use of colors, fonts or other graphic elements. At the same time, such a project is unique and we do not have to worry that we will see an identical design on another company's website.
Dedicated projects are most often created in Adobe Photoshop, designing icons or illustrations using Adobe Illustrator. Then the developers translate the work of designers into HTML and CSS.
Creating a unique website graphic design utilizing WordPress is tantamount to building your own theme. Its advantage is higher code quality, ease of use and much higher efficiency.
Types of websites
The most frequently built type of website is multi-page. It is a website that consists of many subpages connected by links included in the navigation and content. A website of this type can be very complex and we can put a lot of information on it. However, you have to make it transparent and useful, so that the user does not get lost in its architecture.
The multi-page website can be freely expanded along with the development of the company. Due to the amount of content, it is also easier to saturate it with keywords, which is beneficial for SEO. On the other hand, it is more difficult to build because it is more complicated and is less useful for people using mobile devices. However, if we want to include more content on the site, we should choose it.
A much simpler type of site is a one-page site that has no subpages. The entire content of the page loads immediately and the user views it by scrolling. Navigation links are anchors that take the user to a given place on the website.
One-page pages are understandable and useful for the visitor because they do not require going to different subpages. The content is presented in a linear manner and good UX can be achieved in their design. It's also easy to get a high conversion rate when we put a call to action (CTA) at the bottom of the page to end a consistent narrative.
One-page sites, however, have disadvantages - we cannot include more content on them and have problems with their expansion. They also do not contain enough keywords to adequately support SEO activities. SEO is also detrimental to the lack of separate URLs.
A variation of a one-page website are landing pages. They are used in the case of marketing campaigns where a link in an advertisement or newsletter leads to them. Their goal is most often to encourage the purchase, use of promotions or download materials. They don't have navigation, have less content, and end up with a clear call to action.
Responsiveness of a website
Responsive websites design (RWD) is a web development approach for websites that are designed to be displayed not only on computers, but also on mobile devices. Their layout adapts to the size of the user's screen.
With half of the internet traffic coming from smartphones and tablets, creating responsive websites is a must. Pages are often built dedicated to the computer screen and then adapted to mobile devices. An alternative is to use the mobile first approach.
The mobile first method is based on designing from the version for smaller displays. It should contain all the necessary functionalities. The next ones may appear on laptops (progressive enhancement approach).
Thanks to the mobile first approach, we get more readable, minimalist websites with a high UX. The user is not distracted by redundant elements. We only present them with the content that is necessary to achieve the intended purpose. Sites designed in this way are also more efficient.
Why design is so important?
- Design decides about the first impression
The first thing the user sees when they visit the website is its design. It decides how they will evaluate the company. If the website is unattractive or looks archaic, the user can translate his impression into the reception of the entire company. The lack of professionalism in this area will have an impact on the company’s image. In addition, some users tend to immediately leave websites that look bad (i.e. the bounce rate increases). - Design co-creates the brand image on the Internet
The website harmonized with the corporate identity makes the company present a coherent image. Through the website design, it has a chance to use graphic elements such as colors, fonts or illustrations to present its character. - Design co-decides about UX
UX is not only the layout of elements on the website planned by specialists, navigation or calls to action. The user experience largely depends on the attractiveness of the website design. It makes the user feel good about it and the user wants to explore it. - Design is like shop decor
The user entering the website is like a customer visiting the store. They should be welcomed with a friendly interior and décor, giving them the impression that they will be served well in a friendly atmosphere. The website is, in fact, a customer service point and you need to make it attractive. - Design allows you to stand out from the competition
Attention to design is now the norm among companies. If we want to remain competitive, we must treat it carefully. What's more, thanks to attractive design, we have a chance to stand out and gain an advantage over other companies.
Take care of design with WebExperts
At WebMakers, we have extensive experience in the field of web design. We place great emphasis on the appearance of websites, as well as their responsiveness. Our team includes specialists not only in the field of design, but also UX and UI. We specialize in creating a dedicated design based on the client's needs, as well as the functions to be performed by the website (online store, business card, company website). Projects prepared by us are at the highest level and guarantee full usability. Do you need design? Feel free to contact us.
