Top 7 Most Important Website Design Elements

Website Design Elements

Despite the prevalence of social media, traditional websites still play an important role in business and branding. And, as the average internet user will give you their attention for less than 15 seconds, your website needs to be attractive.

Aside from having quality content, the most effective websites also have all of the required website design elements. These elements may seem small but can have a huge impact on the user experience.

So what types of elements do you need to take into account?

Keep reading to learn about seven of the most important elements of web design.

1. Space

Many people might not understand the importance of space in website design, but the truth is that it affects just about everything. From readability to flow, using space in an effective way is a must.

For the most part, you want all of your spacing to be consistent. This means having the same amount of space around things like paragraphs, images, and headers. Spacial inconsistency looks unintentional, and therefore, unprofessional.

Many modern websites use minimalist designs that feature a lot of space. This is a great way to create focal points without having to use busy or loud elements. Remember that ‘space’ refers to a lack of content—it doesn’t have to be white!

2. About Us 

With regards to the different pages of your site, one of the ones you want to put a lot of thought into is the ‘About Us’ page. All businesses—whether you work at a major company, run a small business, or have a personal brand—need to have a high-quality introduction on this page.

After reading your ‘About Us’ page, users should have a clear idea of who you are and what you do. Depending on the type of business that you have, you could even add things like success stories and social media links on this page.

Again, remember that minimalism is in, and long and wordy blocks of text are out. Try to be as concise as possible, and don’t forget to consider how the overall design looks.

3. Contact Information 

You can have the best website design in the world, but if users don’t know how to reach you, then it’ll all be for nothing. Make sure that you share your contact information in an effective and easy-to-find way.

Most businesses do one of two things: they make a separate ‘Contact Us’ page, or they put contact information in a header or footer. Regardless of which option you choose to do, make sure that it’s clear and obvious.

Make sure that you provide all of the relevant forms of contact information. Your email address, phone number, and physical address (if you have one) all need to be there.

4. Easy-to-Use Navigation 

Whether you have five pages on your website or fifteen, the navigation system needs to be easy for people to use. If it’s not, users won’t be able to get where they need to and might end up missing information or leaving.

In line with minimalist design tenets, try to keep your navigational system as simple as possible. You don’t want to overwhelm users with an endless number of drop-down menus and pages.

You always want users to know where they are on your website. They should also be able to return to the home page if they want to and find directions to other pages that they’re looking for.

5. Effective Images 

If you visit a website (or even a webpage) that has nothing but walls of text, do you feel enticed to stay and read everything? Most likely not. Make sure to use plenty of images when designing your own website.

It’s okay to use stock images, but try not to go overboard with them. Otherwise, your website will just end up looking like someone else’s.

Using your own visuals can create a unique and effective design. If you’re not skilled with photography, consider working with a photographer. The visuals they provide you with will be able to draw users into your site.

To get a sense of whether or not your images are effective, consider looking at heatmaps. These can show you exactly how much time users spend on your site. Decibel.com can provide you with the information that you need.

6. A Consistent Style 

In addition to the photos you use, try to create a cohesive theme for your entire website. If it doesn’t have one, it might feel like each page of your site is a separate entity.

Users will then struggle to identify what your brand or business represents.

Everything from fonts to the shape and colors of buttons needs to work with one another. Each time you make an edit to your site, save it, then preview what it looks like.

In doing this, you’ll be able to tell if something looks off or out-of-place right away.

7. Call to Action 

Every website you visit exists to fulfill a purpose. Whether that purpose is to have customers buy products, learn more about your brand, or contact you, make sure that you encourage users to act in the way you want them to.

A call to action is the best way to go about doing this.

Signup forms are a popular call to action, as are ones that encourage people to download an app or reach out to a business.

Your website design should lead users directly to your call to action. This is why oftentimes, you find them at the bottom of pages.

Make Sure to Incorporate These Different Website Design Elements

Whether you have a personal brand or run a company, having an attractive and intuitive website is essential. Make sure to incorporate these different website design elements into your site to make it as effective as possible.

Do you now have a better understanding of how to improve your website? If you do, make sure to check out some of our other posts for more helpful guides and tips.

Top 7 Most Important Website Design Elements

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