The number one question that every web designer must ask themselves is “How is the user going to think?” The answer to this question should dictate the overall approach to structuring the flow of information, as well as the voice and tone of the language on the site. Once you get inside the head of the potential user, you’ll be better suited to provide an engaging and enjoyable experience that will keep them coming back for more. First things first. Get to know your audience. Study the demographics of the potential users of your product or service. Where do they live? What are their hobbies and lifestyle interests? How old are they? What other websites are they visiting? What is the core message or single thought you want them to take away from your site? What is the course of action that you want them to take? Once you have answered these questions, you should have a better understanding of the needs of the user and how you’ll be able to meet them. Focus is a critical element to any website. You only have a few seconds to make a lasting impression on your audience. It’s within these first few seconds that they decide to click, scroll, watch, listen or learn. If you think about this in terms of web design, simplicity is the key to getting your audience to where you want them to be. Don’t make them think about it. Instead, be obvious. You can leverage keywords to provide obvious navigation names and brief descriptions. Even if you’re making your visitors fill out a form, keep it simple, and gather only vital information. They’ll be more likely to complete the form. Don’t be afraid to keep your website clean. Good use of white space makes the user feel at ease and will help to better focus the attention of the viewer on the information of importance. Information should be laid out in a clockwise pattern, with the most critical information being on the left, then in the middle of the page, and so on. This will help to take advantage of the natural scanning pattern when users look at the page. Website Jungle is a web design company in Boston, MA, specializing in custom and template web designs for local clients in MA, NJ and NY, as well as national and international businesses. Website Jungle’s seasoned web designers follow a user-friendly approach. Services include web design strategy, information architecture, site map creation, copywriting and SEO.
