We recently discussed 5 of the most important rules web designers need to live by. Here is the other half of the list.
6. Have a Call-to-Action
Every page on a website should tell the visitor what to do next. For example:
Order now
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You get the idea. A brief phrase needs to stand out on the page and directly tell the user what action you hope they take next. This is the call-to-action (CTA), and it drives conversion rates.
7. Have an SEO Strategy
If you think you can rank on search engines without a game plan, guess again. SEO strategy has to start long before the website gets developed. You need to select keywords so that the website hierarchy and infrastructure can be designed to improve rank.
8. Have Engaging Content
Studies show that video significantly increases how long a person spends on a web page. Images, especially informative images like infographics, also command attention. Finally, don’t underestimate the power of a good blog post. You may not hold a reader’s attention for 1,000 words, but 3-400 is plenty to get recognized by Google, and that’s enough space to provide informative content for your visitors.
9. Have White Space
An important quality for a web designer is the ability to edit. Sometimes the great ideas start flowing and before you know it a site is so cluttered it becomes difficult to focus on anything on the page. The idea that less is more is perhaps at its truest on the Internet. The right amount of white space can make text easier to read and helps your CTA stand out better.
10. Have a Good Looking Design
I know we’ve said that a lot of things on this list need to take precedence to just making a site pretty. That having been said—make the site pretty. All of these other elements are important, but none of them should result in a boring website. Don’t be afraid to utilize tools such as parallax scrolling or a video background. Just don’t go overboard and try to put every type of gimmick into one site design.
Don’t Forget the Maintenance Plan
A website never ends when the site goes live. The site should be treated as a living entity that needs to be fed and cared for on a regular basis. A site that is not being added to on a monthly or even weekly basis is losing value in the eyes of search engines.
That rounds out our list of rules that web designers should live by. Do you think we missed anything? Feel free to comment below.