We’re drawn to what things look like on the outside. Flashy advertising. Sleek sports cars (and the women leaning on them). All the glitz and glamour of Vegas.

But appearances can be deceiving.

What’s pleasing to the eye isn’t necessarily pleasing to the palate.

One of the pitfalls that clients fall into when it comes to web design is a pleasing look versus a functional site.

Just because your website is flashy doesn’t mean it’s easy to use and search-engine friendly. Some of the ugliest websites have high conversion rates.

But that doesn’t mean your website has to be ugly in order to be functional. Beauty and function can coexist.

The best websites are designed with user interaction as the top priority. Beauty is important, but it’s secondary to function. You want your website to drive revenue—not just look pretty.

There are a lot of factors that go into good web design, but here are just a few that we think are important:

1. Eye Path

When visitors come to your website, their eyes naturally follow a specific pattern. The layout of your website should follow the natural eye path of the user.

Placing certain information in a specific location on the web page will make it easier for visitors to find what they need and understand what you want them to do.

Keep in mind that users also block out certain elements, such as banners and advertising (or any box that resembles an ad).

2. Images

Images should be clickable. For whatever reason, website users love to click on images. So make sure your images are linked to a corresponding web page that provides the visitor with more information.

3. Forms

Forms should be easy to find and within the user’s eye path. Simple, one-step forms are better than forms that ask for too much information.

Only ask for information that you absolutely NEED (like an email address). The less information you ask for, the higher your conversion rate will be.

4. Testing

Even when your new website is up and running, the design process doesn’t end there. How do you know something works unless you test it?

User testing, conversion testing, and A/B split testing all work to test assumption (what you think will make your website user-friendly) against reality (whether your website is actually easy to use). The results might not be what you expect.

Web Design Minneapolis MN

Does your web design need improvement? We’d love to partner with you. Find out more by calling (763-548-2297) or emailing us.