It can be a bit of a struggle trying to work out what to do with your site at first, which is why it’s a good idea for SMEs and newbies to the online world to enlist the help of teams like Thunderbolt Digital, who boast some of the best web design in Guildford! So, what kind of things should you be looking to achieve with your new website? And what should you really be looking to avoid? Let’s find out!
Having slick videos and beautiful imagery on your site can be a great way to really pack a punch when it comes to first impressions, but remember that this goes both ways! Your use of content and multimedia should be measured and appropriate; too many can slow your load speed or look tacky, amateurish, or outdated. Remember, your load speed can affect your rankings as well as bounce rate – if your site takes longer to load than 3 seconds, many users will already be hitting the back button!
You should also make sure that any multimedia on your site is up to date. Google Chrome, one of the most popular web browsers, now won’t even run Adobe Flash; this makes sense considering some of Google’s old changes which make pages using flash rank lower compared to sites that use HTML5 or similar. Adapt or suffer the consequences!
It’s also wise to bear the fold line in mind when designing page layout – the most important things, such as contact information, navigation, and the hook, should be visible above the fold line, with further information below. Think about what sorts of things you’ve seen on other websites that have enticed you to carry on scrolling, and try and apply that to your own site where you can.
Above all, let your personality shine through! Yes, there are certain ‘best practice’ guidelines you should follow to get the most out of your site, but that doesn’t mean that your web design needs to be uninspired or ‘cookie cutter’. Try and incorporate your brand identity into your website to give it a unique feel!