The ability of a website to captivate its visitors relies greatly on web design. Even though it has been said that content rules in web marketing, customers are initially attracted to a site because of its design.

Because web design holds a major role in marketing that can make or break a business, knowing how to play this card right is a must.

If you want to drive more traffic to your website, make sure that you know the dos and don’ts of effective web design. Take a look at these key points:

The Dos of Web Design:

DO keep your design clean and simple.

In your effort to achieve a design that can capture the interest of your audience, it can be tempting to fill your website with enticing banners, attention-grabbing colors, and striking graphics.

You have to remember that these options, while seemingly inviting, may not be easy on the eyes. Customers visit a website to get information fast. The best way to do this is by displaying the content in a clean, simple structure that visitors can easily navigate and read.

For designers, a simple interface may be a boring task but you have to remember that the website should be structured for the benefit of the users. The simpler it is for them, the better the chances of a business in turning visitors into customers.

DO aim for a responsive web design.

Will customers find it easy to contact you? Can customers access your website through their mobile gadgets and smartphones? Does your website load seamlessly regardless of the device being used?

These are the questions you need to consider when aiming for a responsive web design. Many companies suffer from a high bounce rate because their websites do not fit in mobile devices. This is a red flag to watch out for because majority of the traffic that comes through websites are now channeled through mobile platforms.

DO optimize web search or page scan.

Web searchers visit your site to get information. If they can do this the easiest and quickest way possible, you get top points in customer experience. When users find your website useful, you drive in more traffic and eventually, more business.

Google’s algorithm can also detect if visitors frequent your site. As more and more people visit and approve your site because they can easily find answers in it, Google will put your website on its first page.

DO make use of your brand colors.

People associate a brand with its logo and colors. This kind of branding is more powerful than words because it enables consumers to recognize your company at first glance.

This is why your website should showcase your brand colors. When they visit your site, they should instantly connect your content with your business through the color scheme used in the design.

The Don’ts of Web Design:

DON’T cram your website with pictures, articles, and graphics.

With various resources for pictures, graphics, and articles, it can be quite tempting to fill your website with these contents.

This move is counterproductive because customers will find it hard to digest an excessive amount of information. In addition, filling up your website with content will only slow down its loading time.

DON’T force visitors to download or sign up.

While asking visitors to sign up or subscribe is a good marketing concept, forcing them to key in their information or download your application or a new browser just to view your content is a different story altogether.

Pressing people to do anything without first giving them the chance to get to know your business better gives a dubious impression on your company name. If you want to earn the trust of prospective customers, forcing them to do anything is a route you should avoid.

DON’T use abusive SEO tactics.

Before, business owners force keywords into their web content to get on the first page of Google. Some designers forcibly take the email addresses of visitors before they display the website. These kinds of shady tactics are sure ways to frustrate customers and get penalized by Google.

It pays well to pore over the different kinds of resources about acceptable SEO practices.

Web design can be an intimidating subject to tackle after considering its major role in business development. The good news is that you can get support from virtual assistants or freelance designers to help you come up with the best design for your website.

After knowing these key points, what changes are you making on your company’s web design?