Keep it simple
Too many elements on a website page can slow down its loading time. Worse yet, a blank, white space will show up in place of where that web page is supposed to be.
Keeping your page simple can also help people on mobile devices view your content faster and more easily. Mobile traffic increased to almost 60% in 2022 and is expected to continue rising. Additionally, the next phase of internet speed for mobile devices revolves around the new optical fiber data transmission just announced by many internet service providers.
You can avoid user experience (UX) frustration if you format your graphics for fast loading. You can also use as few text decorations as possible to prevent slow-loading pages.
Remain consistent
Website design consistency refers to keeping your navigation bar, menu items, backgrounds, headers, and images the same on all your pages.
This doesn’t mean every pixel has to look the same though. For example, you don’t need to add a large web form to every other page of your site – just on your “contact us” page.
You also won’t need a large header photo (also known as a master header or masthead) on every page. You can use it on your home page only. You can have different header images on different pages as long as they match your branding.
However, the link colors, header backgrounds, menus, and page or post backgrounds should stay the same. It’s also best not to use more than one or two heading fonts. All the paragraph fonts on your main page should be the same.
Stay on brand
Staying on brand means ensuring your content, whether graphics or text, reflects your business.
For example, you don’t want to keep changing your logo colors every few months. Once you have decided on your visual branding, stick with it. Otherwise, you could confuse website visitors unless you announce that you’re updating your branding.
Brand consistency also means that your message aligns with the image you portray to the public. This means you must watch what you say wherever you display your brand, including your website, blog, and social media pages.
Ensure mobile responsiveness
Make sure your website responds to the device that your users are on. If it doesn’t, make it responsive as soon as possible. This means that your website will conform to any device screen a person is using. As a result, your audience can say goodbye to pinching in order to enlarge the content.
One way to make your site responsive includes some CSS code tweaking. Before working on your website's code, ensure you understand the different resolutions you should aim for.
When you create a website with Mailchimp, it's sure to look good on several devices and browsers. The best thing is that you don’t need coding experience to get started.
Test different designs
Not testing your site live before inviting people to view and use it is like having a concert before a dress rehearsal. Testing different designs will ensure that your site has the best UX it can possibly have.
However, don’t just test your designs within your IT and creative crowd. Invite beta users to try out your website for the first time. In fact, asking them for feedback can provide valuable insight into the mechanics of your website. You may even discover issues you and your team missed.
Verify it’s crawlable
Making sure a website is crawlable means that search engines found it and indexed it. When this happens, the content on it is automatically ranked on search engine results pages (SERP.)
This typically happens when you use organic keywords in your content that'll catalog your site. You also can increase your indexability if you run pay-per-click (PPC) ads. However, organic search engine optimization (SEO) usually feels more natural because you’re not paying to make your website popular.