If you have never designed a website before, Orange County businesses, then you might feel that the more whistles and bells you include, the better. You want colors, lights, noise! But before you turn your site into a circus, you should remember what you’re trying to do with it. You’re trying to encourage sales, and a display of professionalism that demonstrates what your company is all about is your best way of doing that. Here are some website design principles that you should not neglect.

Functionality and Usability

If your website does not function as it should, and if your visitors cannot use it as it was intended, then they cannot buy from you. That means that functionality trumps any other design consideration. The way to conversion must be clear from the moment a visitor arrives at your landing page. If it isn’t, revision and reworking are necessary, Orange County. Every link must function quickly, and each button and call-to-action should be featured prominently. There should be as little effort as possible on the part of the visitor to get to the next step.

The Design Should Be Cohesive

You don’t want anything on your site to look incongruous with anything else. That means that every part of the website design must fit seamlessly together. If you chose a style of lettering that you feel looks out of place, then change it. It’s also helpful if, before your site goes live or before you make any changes, you bring in someone with an eye for detail to look it over. If you don’t feel like anyone on your staff fits the bill, you can use the User Testing site to get some honest feedback.

Copy Should Be Easily Understood

The language that you choose throughout the site should flow easily, Orange County, especially the descriptions of your services and products. Try and avoid any unusual words or phrases. Don’t use industry-specific jargon that a layperson will not understand. There should be no dense or complex content. Calls to action that aren’t presented simply are going to be ignored. All critical conversion points should require no scrolling to see.

You have no way of gauging the internet skill level of anyone who comes to your site. They might be novices to online sales. A ninety-year-old grandfather might have discovered your site and is about to try and purchase something online for the first time. Don’t assume anything about a visitor. Approach your website design with the idea of making the user experience as easy as possible and you are more likely to get those conversions, Orange County.