How to Create a Website With Innovative Design and a Functional User Experience

Designing a website can be an overwhelming experience. There are dozens of elements that affect the user experience (UX) and, ultimately, your conversion rate. The three top areas that turn off web visitors are a site’s loading speed, mobile responsiveness, and navigation.

Moreover, Blue Corona reports that “48% of people cited a website’s design as the number one factor in deciding the credibility of a business.” Your website influences your potential customers, so it’s essential to create a memorable website that’s easy to use.

Learn how to plan a stunning and user-friendly site that keeps people on your pages while moving them towards a sale.

Start With Website Design Basics

Before digging into the nitty-gritty of web design, go through your basic elements. Your decisions affect each step and lay the framework for how your website will look and function. Aim for a clean, consistent, and creative site by planning your:

• Colors: Select three to five colors from your brand palette. Think about where you’ll add colors, like title text, buttons, fonts, and backgrounds.
• Typeface: Pick three or fewer fonts and font sizes for your website. Double-check that your font selection is easy to read on all devices.
• Graphics: Use photos or graphics sparingly as a way to emphasize the right features or clickable elements.
• Visual hierarchy: Consider how various elements’ size and shape draw attention to your page’s key features, such as a call-to-action.

Plan for Easy Navigation

Don’t make it complicated for web visitors to find what they need and move through your website. Set up a website wireframe to visualize how your site will function, look, and feel. Your navigation elements include:

• Your primary navigation at the top of the page, where users can select pricing or contact information.
• Additional navigational links at the bottom of your page or footer, which may include your privacy statement.
• A search bar so users can explore your website to find precisely what they’re looking for.

Use a Responsive Design

Responsive design means the elements on your page automatically adjust to the device used to access the website. “Mobile accounts for approximately half of the web traffic worldwide,” so users want your site to work well on smartphones or tablets.

To achieve a responsive website, you can use WordPress themes or HTML templates that promise flexibility on different screens. Or you may create a site solely for mobile users. Although today’s website designers build responsiveness into most new designs, setting it up yourself can be tricky.

Ensure Everyone Can Access Your Website

Whether you’re building a site yourself or hiring a developer, each component should be accessible to website visitors with different abilities. Follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which include suggestions like:

• Add alternative text to all graphics and non-text content.
• Make all functionality possible using a keyboard.
• Avoid content design known to cause seizures.
• Provide captions for all audio or video content.

To ensure your website is accessible, test it out using various assistive technologies, browsers, and devices.

Innovate but Don’t Ignore Conventional Aspects

Website visitors appreciate a beautiful design that showcases your unique products or services. However, old habits are hard to break. Consumers get accustomed to seeing the shopping cart icon or finding the navigation bar at the top.

Consider what tools, features, and buttons your users expect to find. Then devise a consistent user experience with a familiar and cohesive user interface (UI).

Focus on Users First for Excellent Website Design

Your prospective clients appreciate websites that work well on all devices and are lightning-fast. By providing an easy-to-use, consistent, and visually appealing site, you earn your visitor’s trust and start them on their customer journey.