How to create a compelling web design

A good web design hits the visitor in the heart.

Trends come and go. Browsers and screen resolutions change, and a layout that works perfectly for one type of customer at one time may not work for all industries in all situations. With that said, here are some considerations you should ponder - if you are serious about making your website a success story.

1) What is the purpose of the website?

A good web design is not just about making a website look good - that is a given. The most important and most challenging part of a website is to develop a concept that actually serves your purpose. Whether it is to generate leads, build your brand, increase recognition of your products, sell something, or simply highlight your business from its best angle.

The first and most important step in web design is to actually review your purpose for having a website at all. What does your ideal scenario look like? If you got exactly what you wanted - what would you like to achieve with your online marketing?

2) Identify your target audience.

A website that looks good to a retiree may not be perceived the same way by a student or a purchasing manager. Men and women tend to appreciate different things, and that includes education level, interests, and personality - among countless other variables. To create the best possible web design, you must know your target audience(s). Is your business targeting individuals? Companies? Is your target audience receptive to features like a blog, Facebook, and Twitter - or does it send the wrong signals? Is your target audience interested in interacting with your website, or do they just want to quickly get information?

Tips: Create a simple personality profile for your target audience(s), and build your website as if you are speaking directly to that person. (For example, Bernt, purchasing manager, 50).

3) What resources do you have for maintenance?

News functionality, press archives, and a blog are all great, but don't bite off more than you can chew. When developing a compelling web design, it is crucial that the content is relevant and up-to-date. Do you only have an hour each week for your website, or less - do not create a structure that requires you to update the website several times a day.

A feeling that the website is alive and current can be created in many different ways, such as subtle animations, slideshows, or links to media that are actually updated - like Facebook, news monitoring, or other sources.

4) How do you want to be perceived?

Design is about emotion. Feeling and experience. What feeling do you want to convey? That you are a small basement company with a strong personality, or that you are much larger than you actually are? Should you be perceived as incredibly professional and serious, or can you be seen as a bit bold and innovative? Should the site be sleek, or should it be perceived as having "a lot going on"?

This question goes hand in hand with the question about your target audience. How do you want to be perceived by Bernt, 50 years old? Feeling also involves color, form, and structure choices - and it is not until you have an answer to this question that you can start with a design work.

5) What do you want to convey first and foremost?

If you are still reading this article, you deserve a pat on the back. Most people who build websites do not have the patience to really understand what creates a good web design, but focus too much on the creative outlet. Anyway - now you will get a concrete task.

Create a list, from 1 to 5, where you prioritize the five most important things that you want to show immediately when the visitor enters the website. In other words - what is most important to convey right away? Is it a feeling or a brief presentation of your business? Is it your latest news, latest products, or the latest blog post? Or do you not need to show anything at all?

What is so clever about this exercise is that if you actually have it clear from the beginning that, for example, 75% of the focus should be on presenting your business idea - yes, then we use 75% of the space for just that - right on the homepage. After that, creativity can flow!

6) Don't make it more complicated than it needs to be.

Lastly - in most cases, a good website is not complicated. It only makes it more difficult for you to maintain the website, it makes it more cumbersome for your visitors - and it makes production more expensive. Try to find the lowest common denominator in the answers that you have hopefully obtained, and build an idea and a structure around it.

Design work is truly special. You want to communicate a feeling, and often say a lot - sometimes a little too much. Focus on what matters, and create a really great, clear, sleek, and stylish web design - your visitors will appreciate your website more than if things are flying around in the background. Good luck!

Summary / Checklist:

• Purpose - What is the purpose of the website? What do you want to achieve and what is your ideal scenario?
• Target audience - Who will visit your website, and what do we want the visitor to do?
• Functionality - What is required technically, and what conditions do you have for maintenance?
• Feeling - What should the visitor feel during a visit? What do you want to "radiate"? What sets you apart from competitors?
• Keep it simple - Focus on what is important and give extra love there instead of making the website too complicated.

NOTE, there are other important things to consider as well, but you have to start somewhere :) Feel free to call us if you want to know more about how we work with our clients.