Once you start looking around online, you’ll begin to notice that many of your favorite websites are WordPress websites. Why? Because they look great and function even better. Of course, in order to get the same professional, easy-to-use, great-looking results, you have to know a thing or two about design.
While WordPress makes it relatively simple to make changes to your site’s design on your own, it’s always the best idea to work with a team of professionals to get you started. Once up, you’ll love how simple it is to add content and make small changes to your already awesome WordPress website.
Ready to get your website started?
Work with an expert team using these five tips below in order to create an awesome WordPress website design for your business and brand.
1. Use Elements of Current Trends
No, you don’t want to make everything on your website feel “trendy”. But you do want to stay up-to-date as much as possible. Even doing some simple research on your favorite websites can help you see what’s “in” right now in web design.
Taking notes and refining your taste will help you know what you want when it comes time for your team to design your WordPress website.
Want a head start? Here are a few of the most-used visual design trends that are easy to integrate into your design:
- Parallax Scrolling: This is where you’ll see the images in the foreground moving more quickly than those in the background. This design feature has become popular because it is visually engaging.
- Infinite Scrolling: Growing in popularity thanks to the social media feeds we’re all becoming accustomed to, inline scrolling is exactly what it sounds like – there’s no “bottom” to a page. This, then, means that you need to have content that lends itself to this type of design.
- Card-Based Design: If infinite scrolling is akin to Instagram and Facebook, then card-based design exists thanks to Pinterest. This type of design is pleasing to look at because it condenses information on a single page, allowing new pages to be opened as needed – rather than bombarding website visitors with too much text straight out of the gate.
2. Embrace Responsive Design
Many WordPress themes are built responsive, which means that you don’t need to do anything in order to make sure that your website looks good on every device – no matter the size of the screen. Responsiveness is becoming more and more important in website design because so many people are getting online from so many different devices. No longer a luxury, your website’s visitors demand responsiveness, which means that making sure your website checks all of the boxes is a must. According to a recent survey, more than 1/3 of your website’s traffic will leave if your website is lacking the responsiveness they need for a good experience.
3. Put Content First
As you may have heard, content, like cash, is king. And, not only do you need great content on your website, but you also need to make sure that all of your content can be found easily and quickly. Hiding content or making your website difficult to navigate is a sure-fire way to increase the bounce rate on your pages. If a visitor to your website can’t find the information they are looking for, or if they find content that is old or outdated, it is extremely likely that they will leave your site and go to the next result in their search. The more clearly you can explain your services – and the easier you make it for questions to be answered – the more likely your visitors will stay on your site – and start listening to what you say.
4. Don’t Overcomplicate Forms
Of all of the experiences people dread most online, filling in forms is at the top. While it’s great to gather information, you’d be surprised as to how many “almost sales” are lost midway through extensive or complicated forms. While we’re not advocating to get rid of forms (they’re necessary!), we are suggesting that you do everything you can to make all of your forms as simple and straightforward as humanly possible. If you know that a form on your WordPress site is long and/or tedious (and there’s just no way around it), do what you can to make it more fun and engaging for the person filling it out. Can you rephrase questions? Can you reimagine color schemes? Can you find a more attractive font?
5. Pay Attention to Details
In website design, the small details really do matter. It might seem like you’re in a race to the finish line in order to complete the design phase of your WordPress website, but overlooking details can cost you down the road. Ask yourself the following questions and then go over your website with a fine-tooth comb:
- Does your website feel cohesive?
- Are there any design elements that are unnecessary?
- Do you have enough white space?
- Can you shorten any of your headlines or copy?
- Do your images add or detract from your overall message?
- Does anything just feel out of place?
- Are you following the same rules and patterns from one page to the next?
When you start to pay attention to the small details, you’ll realize why so many website designers feel like their job is never done.
There’s always something that can be adjusted or improved! Of course, don’t make yourself crazy trying to perfect every single thing.
But, do spend time going over this list with your designers so that you can both be aware of the style, elements, and features you are consciously or unconsciously choosing.
If you’re looking for a team of professionals to help you use these five tips to create the WordPress site of your dreams, we’re here to help!
