Three Tips for Thoughtful Web Design
Consider these things as you step into the website design process and you’ll save time and effort — and get a better result.
Sitting down to prepare for a new website can be woefully overwhelming — especially if you want it to be cohesive and engaging. Thoughtful web design is something we take to heart at WOTW. Your digital presence is an extension of your brand and tells your story in multiple ways. In a world full of noise, being strategic about planning from the start will save you the big three: effort, stress and time.
Here are three major things to consider when you start to prep for your site:
1. Consider your hosting platform carefully. Start with a list of priorities. Consider the following and add your own:
CMS editing capabilities
Team needs/capacity for updates
Frequency of updates
Importance of design
Importance of functionality
From there match yourself with a hosting platform. We love Squarespace, but we’re well aware of the other platforms out there, like Wix, WordPress, Shopify and Webflow, to name a few. While none of these are one-size-fits-all solutions, one platform is going to be the best fit for your team, goals and purpose.
2. Homepage design. This is the most important thing to consider. It’s a snapshot of who you are on one tiny screen. Make it count, but keep it painfully simple. Consider carefully what we call the area “above the fold,” or the landing page users will see as your site loads — before any scrolling or navigating. In this section, you should have a synopsis of who you are, what you do, and how to contact you. For example, if I ran a restaurant, I’d make sure a phone number and online ordering system are both easily navigable from my landing page.
3. Finally, choose your copy wisely. Keep it simple and edit wordiness to a minimum without compromising personality. Ask yourself, “If I knew nothing about myself or my business, would I understand what this means or what action I should take?” Especially for these sections: navigation, homepage and services.
A few strategic decisions can make your website design process easier and less time-consuming — with a much better result.
