Let’s face it, we all want our websites to look good and function well. It all starts with a good website design which means you’ll want it to have an excellent user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). But what the heck does that mean? And more importantly, what do you need to include in your
website design
Check out our blog on the Top 6 Website Design Trends in 2022
to ensure it has a great UI and UX?
Many factors contribute to a good website design, but in this post, we’ll discuss the top 10 qualities that make up good website design and why they’re essential. We’ll also run through 8 tips to avoid lousy website design so you can be better prepared!
Top 10 Qualities of a Good Website Design
And…
8 Tips To Avoid Bad Website Design
Before we jump in, let’s look at what UI & UX is, what it means, and how they work together in good website design.
What Is UI & UX?
User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are two critical aspects of good website design and shouldn’t be overlooked. Good UI makes it easy for users to find what they’re looking for, while good UX makes the user experience enjoyable. Simple enough, right?
If you want your website to look good and be easy to use, you need to focus on both UI and UX. Ensure all your buttons are easily clickable, your fonts are easy to read, and your images are high quality. And most importantly, make sure your content is well-written and informative!
What Do UI & UX Mean?
UI is the part of the website that users interact with. This includes everything from the buttons and menus to the fonts and colours. UI is all about making sure the website is easy to use and navigate. On the other hand, UX is all about making sure the user has a positive experience using the website. UX focuses on creating a smooth and enjoyable experience for the user, from start to finish.
How UI & UX Work Together
Both UI and UX work hand-in-hand and are essential for creating a successful website. If you want your website to be easy to use and look great, you need to focus on both UI and UX design. Together, the UI and UX create an overall impression of your website design. If they’re done well, users will enjoy using your website and will be more likely to return in the future. If they’re done poorly, users will be frustrated and may not return at all. This is why it’s so important to focus on both the UI and UX when designing your website.
Now that we understand what UI and UX are let’s look at the top 10 qualities of a good website design.
Top 10 Qualities Of A Good Website Design
Quality #1: Simple & Easy To Understand Layout
The first quality that makes up a good website design is having a simple layout that is easy to understand. This means the buttons and menus should be easy to find, and the fonts and colours should be pleasant and not confusing. The overall layout should be easy to navigate and flow smoothly from one page to the next.
Quality #2: Easy To Use Navigation
The navigation of a website is a part of the website’s layout and should be easy to use as well. This means the buttons and menus should be easy to find, and they should be laid out in a way that makes sense to users. Users shouldn’t have to go digging for information, and it should be easily accessible.
Quality #3: Obvious Buttons
Buttons on a website should be big and easily clickable, making it easy for users to find what they’re looking for. It reduces the chances of them clicking the wrong button by mistake or, worse, clicking around thinking particular objects are buttons when they’re not. Sometimes hover animations and icons may make users feel that certain aspects of your website are clickable buttons. Make sure it’s super clear!
Quality #4: Easy To Read Fonts
Fonts on a website should be easy to read. This means fonts should be big enough so that users don’t have to zoom in, and the website shouldn’t have crazy fonts that are hard to read. Good website design uses simple fonts that are easy on the eyes, and use them sparingly. Too many font changes can be confusing and make it hard to read the content on the website.
Quality #5: Pleasant Colours
Colours on a website should be pleasant and represent your brand. This means they shouldn’t clash with each other, and they should be easy on the eyes. Good website design uses a limited palette of colours that work well together, and they use them in a way that is pleasing to look at.
Quality #6: Relevant Images
Images on a website should be high quality and relevant. This means they shouldn’t be
blurry
Check out our blog on pixelated images
, and they should be related to the content on the page. Good design uses clear and concise images, and uses them to support the content on the page. If your website is about dogs, it’s simple: use dog images!
Quality #7: Well-Written Content
Content on a website should be well-written and informative. This means it shouldn’t contain grammar mistakes and it should provide value to the reader. Make sure you proof your website content, so it’s free of errors and reflects your offering. An easy way to do this is using a tool like
Grammarly
Check out this free tool to write error-free
to check for issues with your content.
Quality #8: Fast Loading Site
A fast site is crucial to your success. This means users won’t get frustrated while waiting for the site to load, and they’re more likely to stay on the site longer if it loads quickly. Use techniques to ensure the site loads fast, such as caching and file compression.
Quality #9: Responsive Design
I feel terrible even mentioning this, but your website design should be responsive. With over 50% of websites being accessed through mobile, having a
responsive design
Read our blog on responsive design
is crucial. Good website design is fluid and adapts to the device it’s being viewed on so that users have a consistent experience no matter how they’re accessing your site. This means it should look good across all devices, from desktops to phones, oh and phablets too, let’s not forget those!
Quality #10: Clear Call-To-Action (CTA)
A good website design should have a clear call-to-action (CTA). This means the user should know what they need to do to take action, and it should be easy for them to do so. If the CTA is unclear or difficult to find, the user is less likely to take action. For example, if the CTA is to sign up for a newsletter, users should know what they’re signing up for and how often they will receive emails. Ensure your CTA is clear and easy to understand, and it will help you achieve better website conversions!
While there are many good ways to design a website, there are also lousy ways. In this section, we’ll look at 8 tips to avoid bad website design and what you can do.
8 Tips To Avoid Bad Website Design
Tip #1: Jarring Colours
When it comes to website design, you should avoid jarring colours at all costs. This means clashing colours that are too bright or too dark. If you want to have a good-looking website, you’ll need to focus on using aesthetically pleasant colours that work well together and complement your brand. You don’t want your users to feel overwhelmed by the colours on your website, so make sure they are easy on the eyes.
Tip #2: Poor Navigation
Another thing to avoid when designing your website is poor navigation. This means using buttons and menus that are difficult to find or laid out in a way that doesn’t make sense. If you want your users to be able to navigate your website smoothly, you’ll need to make sure the navigation is easy to use. Place the buttons and menus in an easily accessible location and ensure they aren’t nested deep inside other pages. Did we mention Google likes this too?
Tip #3: Clashing Fonts
Clashing fonts should also be avoided when designing your website. This means using fonts that are hard to read or don’t match each other. If you want your website to look professional, you need to use fonts that are easy on the eyes and match each other. Stick to basic web fonts like
Open Sans
Download the Free Open Sans Google Font
or
Roboto
Download the Free Roboto Google Font
, which are free Google Fonts, and make sure they’re a size that’s easy to read.
Tip #4: Slow Loading Time
You also want to avoid a slow loading time when designing your website. Suppose your site takes too long to load, users are likely to get frustrated and leave before seeing your content. To avoid this, you need to make sure your site loads quickly. You can do this by using a caching plugin, optimizing your images, and using a content delivery network (CDN).
Tip #5: Irrelevant Images
Make sure the images you use on your website are relevant to the content on the page. Otherwise, users are likely to get confused and think you’re trying to sell them something they don’t want. It’s simple: don’t put images of dogs and cats on your dog pet store – just dogs. We all love dogs! The last thing you want is for users to see an image and leave your site because they couldn’t figure out what you were selling!
Tip #6: Auto-Playing Videos
Auto-playing videos are another thing you want to avoid when designing your website. This is because they can be annoying and intrusive, and users are likely to leave your site if they’re forced to watch a video they didn’t ask for. If you must use videos on your website, make sure they are relevant to the content on the page and that they don’t auto-play.
Tip #7: Pop-Ups
Last but not least, and maybe the most hated tip, is that you want to avoid using pop-ups on your website. This is because they can be intrusive and annoying, and users are likely to leave your site if they are bombarded with pop-ups. Users have become accustomed to immediately closing pop-ups as soon as they appear, so let’s be wary of that. If you must use pop-ups, make sure they’re relevant to the page’s content and add value to the user, like a promotion that will benefit them.
Tip #8: Avoid Clutter
Poor website design often includes too much information on the page, which can be overwhelming for users. They’re likely to click away from the site if there’s too much going on. Good website design is clean and concise, and it includes only the most necessary information. So, if you’re not sure whether something should be on the page, ask yourself if it’s absolutely necessary and if your target user wants to see it. If not, get rid of it!
Takeaway
Woo, you reached the end! There you have it, the top 10 qualities of a good website design and 8 tips to avoid bad website design. Remember, these are just general guidelines, and your website may require specific tweaks to make sure it has a great UI and UX. By following this simple guide, you can ensure your website has a good design that will be easy for users to navigate and enjoy. Keep in mind to focus on UI and UX and avoid common design mistakes. If you do this, you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful website that you can be proud of! Happy designing!
