Some websites are easy on the eyes and entice you to linger. Others have harsh colors, difficult to read fonts, and frustrating pop-ups. Some are utterly intuitive and you can find what you were seeking in seconds. Others seem intent on making you hunt in vain until you give up and leave.
What constitutes good website design?
Relevant information, laid out in a straight-forward manner.
Easy maneuverability presented against a backdrop of simplicity and elegance.
Readily understood copy that tells a compelling and authentic story.
All of which works on laptops and mobile devices.
A good website is one your grandmother can work and your most fashionable friend would enjoy looking at. The sweet spot is where those two overlap.
One of my favorite websites recently is ThirdLove. They sell bras online. If you're a woman, you're already skeptical of this concept. Bras are like jeans or swimsuits - you resign yourself to half a day in dressing rooms trying to find one (just one!) that fits and looks nice. How could you possibly tackle this online?
ThirdLove has done it.
Your grandmother could navigate the site because it's so clearly laid out. And that fashionable friend will be impressed by the soothing colors and photos of real yet attractive women.
Everything about the site, from sizing to selecting to returning, from copy to imagery, is set up to whisk you through the process seamlessly, despite the immense volume of information it encompasses.
Potential customers spend mere seconds on the landing page of your website. First impressions matter. Looks matter. Judgment is fast and uncompromising.
Anyone who doesn't like what they see - garish colors, walls of text, no clear idea where to aim their eyeballs - will head right back to the search results and try another site. We all do this.
If your website is chasing potential customers back to the search results page to find someone else, you need a website editor.
I have helped multiple small business owners create beautiful and enticing websites that bring customers through the door. You can look at my work here, here, and here.
