Having an online presence these days is a must. It is essential to have a website that people go to learn more about your brand, as well as the products and services that you offer.
But the biggest mistake most companies and website designers unconsciously commit these days is to rush a website’s creation and design. The problem with having a site that is rushed is that those tiniest details often get overlooked and discarded.
Although these might just be minor things, it also has the power to take your site from okay to awesome.
In this post, we will talk about the most commonly overlooked elements in web design and why it is important to the overall success of your site.
Responsive Design
Several years ago, it was quite easy to get away with a site design that fits the average desktop monitor. But the same is not true today.
These days, more and more users are browsing websites on various devices. That’s why it is also essential that you create a more responsive site design that is meant to fit various screen sizes.
While your site needs to load on a standard desktop or screen, it should also be designed in a way that looks amazing on tablets and smartphones.
Also, mobile-internet usage has skyrocketed. In 2018, 52% of the entire website traffic around the world are now generated through mobile devices. This increased by 2 percent last 2017.
So, if you do not have a site that is working well on mobile devices, you are potentially risking out hundreds, if not thousands, of conversions on your end.
Making your website more responsive is an excellent way to ensure that your site shows up optimally in all screen sizes. Through a responsive site design, you will gain more peace of mind knowing that your site shows up on the majority of users’ screens.
Internal linking
As much as you can, link to as many pages on your site when applicable. These pages usually have internal links that let search engine crawlers better index your site.
These internal anchor links will also work to boost your SEO. Wikipedia does it. So does giant brands and websites. If you are not sure what you’re doing here, you can always hire an agency like ALT Agency or web design company in St Louis to help you out.
Updated content
Ideally, you should not present users with information that was on your site for several months or years ago. Chances are, these are already outdated.
Crafting content that is both fresh and engaging will make your site be more effective in driving traffic and boosting conversions.
Do you know that Google checks the freshness of your content? Google’s web crawlers will search your site, and then save when was the last time it was updated.
Think of it this way, if you are searching for the best cafes in New York, and you came across a blog post that read 2009’s Best Cafes in New York when it is already 2019, will you click it?
Well, of course not. Google will not do the same, either.
So, it is high time to revisit your old pages on your blog and then update the content. A sitemap will show you when was the last time that particular content was updated by the user and will relay it back to Google.
To make consistent updates in your site, create blogs regularly, always update your FAQs, or switch the verbiage on particular pages.
Engaging web content
Not only should you regularly post new content, but you should also come up with content that is high-quality, engaging, and interesting.
Chances are, users will not keep coming back to your site if they are not learning something new or finding solutions to their problems.
So, if you do not have a copywriter on your team yet, then it is time to hire someone. Otherwise, you will risk falling behind in terms of your site’s ranking on search results.
Link styling
Most web developers do not pay too much attention to link styling because they do not think that it is relevant. But when you utilize proper link styling, you are ensuring that those links are not only visible to users. It will also be easy for them to know where they are on your site, and what particular pages they have already visited.
Usually, when designing your site, here are the three main link styles that should be incorporated in your CSS.
- Normal: The default state of a link. This usually applies to a link that is not hovered or clicked upon.
- Hover: A link’s state whenever a mouse hovers on it. With hover styling, you are making it known to the user that they are hovering on a URL that will take them in another place on your site. This usually involves color, cursor styling, and decoration.
- Visited: Lets users know what they had clicked on when they visited your website. When you know the links that the user has previously visited, it is quite easier to find the information you need.
Over to You
Launching your site can be an exciting process. But you do not have to rush it necessarily. Sometimes, it is quite tempting to get carried away with all that creativity and ideas. Although you might come up with an aesthetically pleasing site, if you miss out on other elements, it does not bring in much consolation to you as a web owner.
The thing is, you must use this opportunity to focus on the other elements in your design that even if small, can make a significant change. Hopefully, by becoming more aware of these factors that a lot of site owners and web designers commonly overlook, you can bring exceptional results in your site in the long run.