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Top Web Design Tips For Improving Your Website: Beginners Guide

It can be difficult to navigate the world of web design. After all, there’s more to it than simply creating a page that looks beautiful and brand-worthy. There are several elements and factors you need to consider as well. For example, you need to be aware of design properties that would help reduce bounce rates. 

That said, it isn’t a hopeless affair. You will be able to create a successful website even if you’re a newbie. Here are a few tips that will help you get through the difficult design process and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. 

How do I improve my website? 

It can be overwhelming to design a website from scratch. But what other people tend to overlook is how difficult it can be to improve an existing site. You might have already grown attached to it, or maybe you just feel like it’s already a great site. 

Either way, it’s difficult to know where to start. So here are a few things you need to think about to help you through the process: 

Visualize your end goal

Before we get into the design aspect of your project, let’s take a second to think about what your goals are for your website. Ask yourself the following questions: 

Do I want to increase website sales? 

Do I want more bookings? 

Do I want leads to contact me? 

Whatever the answer is, make sure you focus your sight on that. The bulk of your web design should move towards initiating your goal and not something else. 

Did you know that most page viewers will only spend 5 seconds on your page? If there’s nothing that immediately catches their eye within that time frame, then you can’t expect them to keep looking. 

Plan your website 

Even if you’re not starting from scratch it’s important to take the time to plan out what you want your final website to look like. I personally like taking a pen and some paper to map out each page so I don’t lose my vision when I’m actively making the changes. 

It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it will help you stick to your goals. It will also help you avoid making any major mistakes while editing your site just because it doesn’t look exactly as you envisioned. 

But more than that, planning is an essential part of the process because it basically allows you to set up your website for success. 

This is where you’ll be able to identify exactly what your site needs and make the necessary steps towards completing them. 

 Utilize attractive and appropriate CTAs

Calls to action can come in a variety of ways. They can present as buttons. Or they can be used in your web copy. You might even feel inclined to incorporate them into your photos. 

However, you decide to add them to your site, make sure you’re using the right ones. They should encourage your viewers to move towards your main goal. 

For example, if you want to increase your sales, make sure you use CTAs like: 

Buy Now! or Shop Now or Shop More

My best suggestion to you in this area is to get creative but to keep it simple and straightforward. Your message needs to be very clear since this is what will prompt your audience to do exactly what you need them to. 

Invest in quality graphics

Whether or not you sell products, you need to make sure your images are high-resolution and are of good quality. If you’re not too keen on taking professional-looking photos, hire a photographer and schedule a session or two to get some great material for your website. 

Additionally, you might want to look into hiring a graphic designer to create high-quality illustrations for your website. You can use them as headers, footers, or listing the specific benefits of your product. 

Alternatively, you could also use a graphics software to help you create your own graphics. Canva is a great resource and it even offers a free plan you might want to look into. 

Make your message clear 

When you come across a website, you’ll have to scroll down at least a bit to be able to see everything. This essentially divides your view into different “screens”. It’s a good practice to make sure your message is clear right from the first screen. 

Optimize your design to make sure your viewer knows exactly what your website is about and what you want them to do immediately when they click your link. 

A good design aspect to practice here is to optimize your menu so it displays clear options. You could also add a header that explains a bit about your business and follow up with a button – or multiple, to guide viewers into what they should be doing. 

Make sure your website is easy to navigate

A rule of thumb you should follow is that you need to be able to find your products or offers in as little as three clicks. Make sure your options are easy to find and that they’re clear enough to give your viewer an idea of what they’re looking at. 

You want to avoid confusion, but you also don’t want extremely long menu tabs. For example, you want to add a menu item that redirects them to set an appointment with you, you want to shorten your CTA enough while making it still understandable. 

Maybe instead of “Book an Appointment” you could use Schedule Session or something similar. 

The wrap up 

Whatever your goal is for building or redesigning your website, don’t feel discouraged. It can be difficult, and you can get easily overwhelmed. But if you keep a clear eye on your needs and take it one step at a time, you’ll have a fully functioning, optimized, high-converting website in no time. 

Now, the only problem you need to think about is what you’re planning to stuff it with! Will you be adding videos? Blog posts? Maybe a few fun gamified features? 

There’s no limit to what you can do as long as you’re willing to take a step out of your comfort zone.