Tips on Website Design
1. Use Consistency
Be consistent in your colors, fonts and themes. One of the first things you should do to brand your new business, or if you want to refresh your existing, is to come up with a color palette. People should know that it’s you even if they don’t see your logo because your branding is memorable. You create that memorability by being consistent with your colors and fonts which reinforces your brand identity. Elements to be consistent with in your brand:
- Color palette: primary, secondary
- Fonts: header, body text, script
- Design elements: patterns, icons, boarders
- Style: modern, trendy, boho, moody, woodland, etc.
2. Use Quality Images
I can design a beautiful brand and website for you but without good quality images of your services or products, you will not attract your ideal clients. Of course, it is highly recommended to hire a professional photographer to take some brand images and product photos for your business. You can also take your own product photos but do learn some tips and tricks to improve your photography skills to ensure quality photos.
Here’s a great example of using your own photos straight from your cell phone versus a professionally edited photo taken with a DSLR. Even though it’s the same florist and same centerpiece, as a potential client, which florist are you more likely to hire to design your floral? Website on the left with poor quality photos or website on the right with professionally edited photos?
Here’s a previous blog post with 6 Tips to Choosing Website Images.
Beautiful photo (right) by Luxury Moment Photography.
3. Understand Hierarchy
Rank the elements of your image in order of importance. Direct your viewer’s eyes to the most important aspects of the image. You can use font sizes to bring your point across, like in the examples below. Large objects will attract attention first. Bold pops of colors will also draw your attention. Your title in a larger font with a pop of color will definitely draw your viewer’s attention first.
4. Less is More
Have you ever noticed that higher end designs are very minimal? The more you add to your design, the more it gives the feeling of “cheap”. Leave out all the bells and whistles and keep only what is important. For example, is that busy and dark marble background really necessary for your title? If you want to add a little something to spice it up, use simple elements like in the sample below. Sprinkle the same element throughout your website to keep it consistent. These tiny star elements is a good example of what we had discussed above regarding consistency in design elements such as patterns and icons. Step back and take a look at the overall design of your page. Is it too busy or is it nice and clean?
5. Use Negative Space Wisely
The space that surrounds the object in your image is extremely important. A lot of times we ignore that or do not know how to use it wisely. Having more negative space instead of cramming everything in will give your product a more luxurious vibe. Look at these two product image. Which one looks more luxury?
6. Leave Space Around Your Elements
Not only should you use negative space wisely in your images but also in your overall page and website layout. Leave some space between all your elements, your text and images. When your objects are too close together, everything looks cramped and busy. Spacing out your elements make it easier on the eyes. Give your elements some breathing space, give your website visitors some breathing space.
7. Plan Your Photoshoot Content
Negative space is also very important when shooting images for your website. When you’re doing a photoshoot, plan your images ahead of time. What will you use the images for? Will you be using them as blog post cover photos? In this case, you should be taking photos with lots of negative space so you can add text to the images later. This shows that your content is thoughtful and intentional, which makes your brand more professional.
Hope these 7 website design tips is helpful for when you’re planning out your website content. Pin it for later! If all these design tips sound complicated to you, I can help! Would love to know your business more, simply reach out for a quick chat.
