9 Key Elements of Professional Website Design That Drive Business Success

Whether you’re considering designing, or re-designing your business website, you should be thinking of having a professional website design that will help your business achieve its purpose. But what really makes for a professional website design?

• Is it the appearance?
• Is it the color combination?
• Is it the font selection and photos creatively displayed?

While all of these are important, the fact is, when it comes to professionally designed website, there are some key elements that you need to consider. These key elements, all combined together is what will make your business website truly professional, both in appearance and performance.

Why a Professional Website Design?

Before we dive into the key elements of a professional website design, let’s first answer the question: “why do your business need a professionally designed website?

There are a number of reasons but the top most is the fact that a lot of online businesses are lacking in profitability today not because they are selling the wrong products or because they are implementing the wrong traffic strategies, but because their websites lack the key elements that a professional website should have.

Recent studies shows that these days, most people turn to the Internet when they want to find a particular product or business. This is because visiting a business website is much easier for a consumer to see what a business has to offer without leaving the house. The means the website is the first point of call for many businesses. Unfortunately, most business websites are not effective in converting visitors to customers. Instead of presenting a professional image of the brand these websites do the opposite.

You see, if a first time visitor lands on your business site and, instead of being met by an appealing site, they are met by some amateur-looking website, that first impression will definitely affect their response to what you’re offering. It’s important therefore that your website is professionally designed so it can attract leads, entice, engage and ultimately, turn them into clients and customers.

A good modern professional website design will help you keep your leads on your site instead of losing them to your competition.

So, how do you avoid losing business to your competitions because of your website design?

The answer is by incorporating the following key elements of a professional website design.

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Power Tips for Professional Website Design

Below are some of the key components that most good websites have. If you’re thinking of propping up your digital presence with a professional website design or re-design, you should incorporate them into your website design.

1. Responsive Design

The number one trend in web design right now is making sure it is responsive. What do I mean by that? Quite simply, it means that your website works on whatever device opens it. In other words, the website will look fantastic whether you’re on a mobile, a tablet, or a desktop.

More than 50% of all internet access now takes place on a mobile device. That makes it more important than ever to cater for alternative devices. To find out more about responsive design, visit the experts at http://perfectlysimpledesign.com/.

2. A Simple Home Page

Simplicity trumps everything else. A careful study of the best website out show that their home pages are minimal, simple, and straight to the point. Remember, your web design exists to point users in the right direction. Your website’s home page should tell them who you are, and where to go next. Anything that distracts from this one simple task should be removed.

3. Usability

Most people think that web design is all about being creative and artistic. To an extent, they’re correct. But, the best designers are far more focused on usability. They care more about how the website works than how fanciful it looks. They understand that the most important aspect of a website is how easy it is to use.

This means making sure that usability is a priority. For example, if you’re building an ecommerce site, you should make it easy for shoppers to find the products they want to see in a matter of seconds. For instance, the owner of an online clothing shop should set up her website so men and women can find exactly what they are looking for. You can do this by organizing your merchandise by color, size or style.

If you’re looking for a great blog on usability, visit https://uxmag.com. It will help you ensure the navigation is simple and intuitive. Ensure that visitors know where to go, and can find out basic information.

4. Speed

You might not think it’s the web designer’s job to consider web speed, but it’s very important. For example, the more complicated and fussy the website, the longer it will take to load. There are more images to download, and more coding required to make it work. That takes time to load up.

Unfortunately, a slow website is not good for sales and conversions. In a 2019 survey by Unbounce, nearly 70% of consumers admitted that page speed impacts their willingness to buy from an online retailer. So, don’t sacrifice speed for a fussy design. Keep it simple, keep it fast.

5. Captivating Images

Captivating images are a great addition to a website regardless of what a business owner is selling. In fact, many online shoppers notice the images on a website before they read a single word on the page. As an example, the owner of an online shop that sells pet supplies may want to put up several colorful images of dogs and cats at play. This serves to grab the attention of shoppers and makes it more likely that they will stay on the website to check out the products for sale.

6. Clear, Succinct Text

Most online shoppers scan any text they see on a website. They want to find out what a website has to offer in a matter of seconds. This is why having clear, succinct text is so important. After scanning this type of text, shoppers are likely to peruse the merchandise on the site and, perhaps, make a purchase.

You should therefore write your web content in clear, succinct text. Your paragraphs should be short making it easy for your site visitors to scan. By making your website easy to skim, you will be able to provide your visitors with the most important information that can help them convert.

7. A Secure Method of Payment

This is a critical element of a professional website. Business websites with custom web design should have a secure method of payment. This gives your customers the assurance that their personal information are protected. You customers must feel at ease with submitting their credit card numbers or bank account information when they are making an online purchase through your business website.

8. Accessible Contact Information

The last element that goes into making a professional website is giving shoppers a way to contact the business. Generally, a business owner provides a phone number for all types of customer service questions. Also, many owners display an email address for customers who want to contact the business via computer.

Displaying contact information lends credibility to a business.

9. Branding

Lastly, a quick note on branding. In terms of artistic and creative design, always stick to your core brand. Create a logo that works, and stick to a simple and iconic color palette.

Conclusion: Ending Thoughts on Professional Website Design

A professional website design is your best bet of making a positive impression on online shoppers. It is the determining factor in whether a user visiting the site converts to the brand.

Though many different elements go into a good website design, the most important are user experience, security, and visual presentation. The above are some of the common elements users are expecting from any modern website. Take each of these factors into account, and you’ll create a powerful website.

Never forget that your business website is your 24/7 sales rep. Equip it with the right design and it will effortlessly give you the results you so desire.

Over to you: What other elements of professional website design would you suggest be added to this list? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.