6 Principles of Making a Great Website

Sitting down to create a website from scratch can seem like a daunting task. Even an experienced web developer may need a refresher when it comes to building and designing a new website. Here are six principles to keep in mind if you want to create a great website.

Having A Plan
The most important part of making a great website starts before you begin to write any line of code. You need to create a plan. Having an organized plan of attack is what I believe is the most essential part of a great website. A plan that gives you the time and resources to meet a client’s expectation is very important. And, from a User Interface perspective, having a plan or even a rough wireframe can be hugely beneficial in envisioning the design of a website. By already understanding the flow of a website, it will help you design a site that will turn a lead into a customer. 

Less Is More

A website can definitely be over designed. By putting too many different elements on a page, this can distract from the main message and purpose of your website. Some of the best websites in my opinion have gone with a more minimalist approach in order to convey the information on the site. Looking at a website that has features that do not really serve a purpose can be frustrating for users. That’s why it’s best to keep your design simple so users can easily navigate and find what they are looking for.

Easy Navigation

Easy navigation is one of the most important components of a great website. Navigation that is easy to understand and allows them to find what they are looking for is the key to retaining visitors. Many times you can visit a website that is confusing, and you are not sure where to start. Most of the time, you probably end up just leaving the site. When creating a site’s navigation, focus on keeping users from thinking too much. Keep things simple and self-explanatory. 

Mobile Friendly

The majority of users on most websites now come from mobile devices. That’s why it’s essential to create a website that best caters to your audience. Even if a website looks great on desktop, it is just as important to have it look just as good, if not better, on mobile. Mobile responsive websites require a lot of testing because there are so many different screen sizes for phones and tablets. Ensure that content is stacking properly, font sizes are readable, and images are displayed properly. Take the time to test your website and optimize for mobile.

Good Readability 

Having great readability is very important to a website. When a site’s readability is high, it allows for users to effortlessly look through or skim content in order to find an answer for what they are looking for. Design also plays a factor in readability. Making sure you have easy to read fonts, good spacing, and contrast between text and backgrounds is just as important as the actual content. Keep in mind that you don’t want to have too many words on a page. Be sure to use pictures or icons when appropriate to help better engage your users.

Optimization for Website Page Speed.

There are many ways that a website can be optimized, and one that’s universal for all is site speed. Make sure to do the small things such as minifying your HTML, CSS and Javascript files, making proper URL redirects, and compressing images. Large image sizes especially play a role in negatively affecting page speed. Images should be no more than 1MB at most on your website. The small details such as file sizes can play a large role in the overall performance of your site.

There are many changing and evolving pieces to making a great website. And these are just some of the core main principles that can be applied to any website. Keep in mind that there is always something to improve your website and give your users a better overall experience. Ultimately, this will help you earn more from your online presence.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Merdich is a full-time Web Designer at 898 Marketing. As a Web Designer, Michael’s responsibilities include designing and developing websites, search engine optimization, and digital integration. Michael is a Boardman, Ohio native, and graduate of Youngstown State University with a Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Information Technology.

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