WEBSITE DESIGN BEST PRACTICES 2023

Website design!!!

Everyone knows it’s important, but very few bother to do it right. I mean, why bother following best practices when you can just throw together a hot mess of a website and hope for the best?

But let me tell you something, statistics have proven that how your website looks can make or break your user engagement. Yep, you’ve got less than a second to make a good impression. No pressure, right?

Your website design is like the bouncer at the door of a club. If it’s not cool enough, no one’s getting in. And you’ve only got about 50 milliseconds to prove that you’re worth sticking around for. So, you know, no big deal.

But hey, if you want to create a website that actually keeps visitors hooked and grabs their attention, you might want to consider following some website design best practices. Crazy, right?

7 Website Design Best Practices to Follow in 2023

You don’t need to be a genius to design a killer website.

Just stick with what already works because, let’s face it, human visual and behavioral psychology hasn’t evolved much in the past decade or so.

So why bother trying to reinvent the wheel?

Luckily for you, there are some tried-and-true website design practices that are guaranteed to give you a boost in conversion rate, engagement, session duration, and revenue.

So put down that kale smoothie and check out these 7 design techniques that will make your website the bee’s knees.

1. Color Scheme

If you want to create a website that actually makes an impact, then you better pay attention to your color scheme. You may think that colors are just pretty decorations, but facts say otherwise.

According to the Institute for Color Research, people make subconscious judgments based on color within the first 90 seconds of interacting with something, and up to 90% of that judgment is based entirely on color. So, if you want people to stick around on your website, you better make sure your color game is on point.

First things first, you need to choose your colors wisely. Every color has a different meaning attached to it, so don’t just pick them willy-nilly. Red can make people hungry, black screams authority, and blue exudes calmness and trust. So, think about what you want your brand to convey and choose your colors accordingly.

And once you’ve picked your colors, stick with them! Consistency is key when it comes to building a strong brand identity. Just look at Pepsi. You think of their blue branding the second you hear their name, and that’s no coincidence. Their website is also decked out in blue, because they know the power of consistency.

So, stop underestimating the power of color. If you want your website to make a real impact, then you better choose your colors wisely and make it your number 1 website design best practices.

2. White Space Supremacy

Alright, listen up, all you web designers out there! Let’s talk about the unsung hero of one of the most important website design best practices- white space.

You know, that empty, useless, blank space on your web page that you’re probably tempted to fill up with as much content as possible.

But guess what?

White space is actually crucial for a user-friendly and easy-to-navigate website. It’s like a breath of fresh air for your eyes, giving them a much-needed break from all the clutter and chaos.

In fact, studies have shown that adding white space can improve comprehension by a whopping 20%! Plus, it helps to create a visual hierarchy and guide visitors to the important stuff, like your precious CTA.

So don’t be afraid to embrace the power of white space, my friends. Use it wisely to highlight key elements and create balance in your website design best practices. Your users will thank you for it (even if they don’t realize it).

Oh, and don’t forget to use both micro and macro white space to create balance. Because who doesn’t love a balanced web page? It’s like yin and yang, but for design.

So there you have it, folks. If you want to be a web design wizard, just remember to add some white space and watch the compliments roll in.

3. Typography

You’ve been hearing that “content is king” for years now, but let me tell you something even more important website design best practices: typography.

Yeah, you heard me right!

The way you present your words on your website can make or break your credibility, UX, conversions, and revenue. Don’t believe me?

Well, a study found that nearly half of consumers judge a website’s credibility based on its typography and font size. So, you better pay attention to this stuff!

And when it comes to typography, you need to focus on two things: CLARITY and CONSISTENCY.

You can’t just choose any old font that you think looks cool. No, no, no. You need to choose one that’s easy to read and doesn’t strain people’s eyes. And for the love of all that’s holy, please don’t use multiple fonts. Stick to one and own it.

To make your text easy to read, break it up into short sentences, paragraphs, and use subheadings and bullets.

And don’t forget the white space, as it’s one of the website design best practices! You don’t want your page to look like a crowded subway car during rush hour. And last but not least, use color contrast to make sure your text pops.

So, there you have it, folks. If you want to be taken seriously in the web design world, you better make sure your typography game is strong. Don’t be a fool and ignore this important element.

4. Navigation

Let’s talk about something that’s often overlooked in website design best practices – navigation.

You know, that little thing that helps visitors and search engines find what they’re looking for. Because who cares if people can’t find what they want, right?

But don’t worry, making your website easily navigable is a piece of cake. Just put yourself in your visitors’ shoes and keep it simple, and straightforward.

According to Google, people are into basic websites these days, so don’t go getting all fancy with your format and menu. Stick to the standard stuff so people know exactly where to go. And throw in a search bar to really knock their socks off.

But wait, there’s more!

Navigation isn’t just about the site’s structure, it’s about menus, footers, headers, widgets, and everything in between. That’s why 94% of people think it’s the most important feature of any business.

So, how can you design the perfect navigation? Easy peasy!

Make it prominent, keep it simple, make it SEO-friendly, and make sure visitors know where they’re going when they click a link. And don’t forget to use breadcrumbs (not the edible kind) to help visitors know where they are and how to switch between related web pages.

Oh, and one more thing. Don’t overwhelm visitors with too many navigation options. Just stick to the key areas on your website. After all, who needs a choice when you can just be told where to go? So, don’t underestimate the importance of one of the website design best practice – Navigation.

5. Reduce Complexities

Sure thing, let me give it a shot:

Are you tired of overwhelming your website visitors with endless choices and options? Do you want to make their decision-making process a breeze?

Well, remember Hick’s Law?

Yeah, that thing where people take forever to make a decision when they’re faced with a million options? Well, nobody’s got time for that, so minimize the choices and make their lives easier.

And while you’re at it, cut down on all the distracting things on your website. The human brain can only handle so much information, so stop clogging it up with unnecessary images, designs, and ambiguous structures.

Make it your important website design best practices 2023 to Stick to one Call-to-Action (CTA) per page, because we don’t need websites to confuse us with multiple choices.

And for the love of all that’s holy, keep your design consistent. Nobody wants to feel like they’re going through a maze just to find what they’re looking for.

Use contrasting colors and visual cues to guide us toward what’s important. Understand our journey and make it easy for us to get to where we want to go. And please, for the love of all that’s holy, minimize the number of clicks it takes to convert. Ain’t nobody got time for that either.

So, to sum it up, stop trying to be fancy and just make it easy for us. Don’t throw surprise design elements at us that we’re not familiar with. Just stick with what works, and we’ll be happy campers.

6. Call-to-Action

It’s time to talk about the sad state of call-to-action (CTA) buttons on websites.

You know, those little buttons that are supposed to encourage you to buy, subscribe, or do whatever it is the website owner wants you to do? Yeah, those ones.

Well, apparently, a whopping 70% of businesses out there just can’t be bothered to use them. And if that wasn’t bad enough, a staggering 72% of those same businesses don’t even bother to put CTAs on their internal pages. What are they thinking?

But hey, if you’re one of the 30% of businesses out there that actually use CTAs, congrats!

You’re on the right track. Just make sure those CTAs are well-designed, or else visitors will just ignore them as they do with that one aunt who always talks about her cat.

To make sure your CTAs stand out from the crowd and actually get some clicks and conversions, here are some website design best practices to follow.

First of all, make them personalized. Generic CTAs were so last year. And did you know that customized CTAs perform 202% better? Yeah, that’s right. Two hundred and two percent.

Oh, and forget about using text CTAs. Buttons are where it’s at. They’re more prominent and perform better in terms of clicks and conversions.

And speaking of prominence, make sure your CTAs are front and center. Visitors should be able to spot them in less than a second. And if you want them to actually click, use descriptive text and action words.

Don’t forget to add white space around those buttons. It’s like giving them some breathing room.

But perhaps the most important thing to remember is to ensure your CTAs are relevant and consistent with the rest of your website.

And if you really want them to grab attention, go for some contrasting colors. Trust us, it works.

7. Responsiveness

So, you think your website is all that, huh?

Well, guess what?

If it’s not optimized for mobile devices, you might as well kiss your online success goodbye.

Let’s face it; most people use their phones to access the internet. And if your website looks like a hot mess on a tiny screen, visitors are going to peace out faster than you can say “responsive design.”

And don’t even get me started on Google’s algorithm. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, it’s basically invisible to search engines.

But hey, no pressure. If you want to keep your visitors around (and let’s be real, you do), then follow these mobile-first web design best practices.

• Use a responsive theme, test your site on different devices, and make sure your layouts and elements are flexible and adaptive.
• Prioritize your content for the mobile site because apparently, that helps with SEO too.

So, get with the program and make your website responsive. Or don’t, and watch as your visitors bounce like a basketball. The choice is yours.

Final Verdicts

If you’re still out there with a poorly designed website, it’s time to wake up and smell the pixels! You might think it’s just a pretty face, but let me tell you, a well-designed website can make or break your business.

Lucky for you, we’ve got some website design best practices 2023 that will take your online presence from zero to hero. You’ll be converting more visitors than a televangelist on a Sunday morning!

And don’t just take our word for it, by 2023 e-commerce purchases are projected to account for 22% of the global goods market. You don’t want to be left behind with a shoddy website while your competitors are swimming in profits like Scrooge McDuck.

So, buckle up buttercup, and get ready to implement some changes. Don’t try to do it all at once though, you don’t want to overload your poor little website. Take it one step at a time, experiment, and see what works best for you. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

And hey, if you’re feeling overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, we’ve got your back. Our expert web designers will take your website from a hot mess to a hot commodity. So, hit us up, and let’s make some magic happen!