Calgary Web Design: Do’s and Don’ts
February 7, 2018
Your website is usually the first contact people have with your business online. It is essential that it represents you well and communicates what your business is about. Your website should be unique and stand out from the competition’s but it must also follow some basic web design guidelines. Follow these simple do’s and don’ts of Calgary web design.
1a. Do Choose streamlined colours and fonts.
Once you decide on what font and colour you are going to use to brand your website, stick to them. Use only about two fonts throughout the website. The number of colours you use may depend on the kind of business you run and what suits it. Too many changes in fonts and colours confuse the user.
By streamlining your colours and photos, the user will be able to focus on why they are on your website; your products and services.
1b. Don’t overcomplicate your design
An overly complicated design will distract your users. They may find it hard to surf through your website because they have to keep adjusting to the new font or colour.
2a. Do Make your Site Easy to Navigate
Time is precious to people visiting your website and they are always looking for ways to save time. They also have very short attention spans and your website won’t hold them too long if they cannot find what they are looking for. Use ‘categories’ to separate articles on different topics. Use tags also so people can click on a tag and read other articles related to the one they just read.
2b. Don’t Exclude a Search Bar
Once you are able to get someone to visit your website, you want them to remain there. Adding a search bar to your website allows the visitors to search out terms and articles they are interested in. It provides easy, straightforward access to products and information they want. The longer someone stays on your website, the more likely they make a purchase. It also boosts your SEO rating which is a welcome bonus.
3a. Do Include Testimonials on your Site
Word of mouth is a great way to sell your product or service. And the word of mouth does not have to be physical. A testimonial on your website tells potential clients you have solved problems for real people like them. It increases their chances of trusting you with their money and more importantly, their problems.
3b. Don’t Exclude Reviews
You may be tempted not to allow reviews on your Calgary web design because you fear what people will write. It is true that no matter how great your product or service is, you will always have people who will not love it. They may leave a few negative reviews but you will also get positive ones. It is critical to trust your potential customer to make the right decision in spite of a few bad reviews.
The good reviews will do you a lot of good if you have them. Since almost 75% of customers search for past reviews, you really should have them. People trust reviews and will feel they are in a better position to make a good decision after reading reviews. Excluding them from your website is doing yourself a disservice.
4a. Do Spend Time Creating Quality Copy that is Concise and to the Point
Your copy may be the only thing some people read on your website so it is important that it makes the maximum impact. Your copy should be simple and easy to understand. It should also contain all the information that will convince readers to purchase your product or service. Or at the very least, it should get them to want to know more about your business.
4b. Don’t have an Overwhelming Amount of Text on a Page
Don’t make your posts too long. Nobody wants to feel like they are back in school when they read your website. Your posts should be short, catchy and straight to the point. You don’t want your reader sifting through thousands of words to find what they want.
If the information you are passing is much and you have to use a lot of words, add images. Images help take the pressure off. You should also break your text into multiple paragraphs, with each paragraph just about four lines. Use numbers and bullets also, where applicable. It makes your text easier to read.
5a. Be Original
Your Calgary web design should be original, showcasing your brand fonts and colours. A good website is key to building trust with your customers. If you cannot invest enough in your own website, why should they spend their money on that website? Sometimes, it’s not about spending a lot but paying attention to details that make your stand out.
5b. Don’t Buy a Theme
If your website is built on a generic website, your users will be able to tell. It will lack originality and genuineness. It won’t be able to show your brand like you want and doesn’t follow Calgary web design best practices. It may also paint you as cheap and uncaring about your brand. You don’t want to send a message like this.
Talk to a person
