In the world of WordPress web development, the skills required to keep up to date with current trends are always changing and evolving. It is important for web developers and industry professionals to learn and grow with these changes in order to remain current and give the best possible user experience. In this article, we look at the present key elements which every web developer should know to allow them to create the best possible websites, topped off with outstanding SEO.
- White space is your friend
Often, web designers want to fill the page brim to brim with useful and helpful information. However, when it comes to user experience, this is awful. Information overload can cause confusion and rejection; not having a specific stand-out element to focus on gives no direction to a website.
Allow plenty of white space on the page to emphasise the most important areas of the site that you want the audience to notice. The use of white space also makes the overall design look much more contemporary and polished. Avoid optimising for productivity over aesthetics and you will instantly notice a more refined looking website.
- Simply make the content accessible
The average attention span when browsing online is very short. If a consumer comes across your website but cannot easily find where to access the relevant information they are looking for, they will not think twice about leaving and looking elsewhere. It is important to make the site look as attractive and easy to use as possible in order to convince users to stay on your page for longer.
This means having a user-friendly navigation system so that people can quickly find where they want to be. Achieve this by designing a winning navigation menu and making great layout choices to ensure you are luring visitors through your virtual door.
- Use the correct fonts
Fonts are a huge deal. Browser support for web fonts means that you can choose from hundreds of different fonts to find the right one. The only thing you’re limited to is the amount of time that you want to spend looking.
There are certain things that you should look for when choosing web fonts, but remember not to take away any attention from the content. Your chosen font should fit in well with the overall design and feel of the website.
- Pay attention to small details
The most important part of design is in the detail. It is all the small parts put together that complete the overall look of a website, so by paying attention to the small parts, you will automatically create a strong and successful design.
Play around with your ideas to see what works best before actually making a final decision. Getting a small detail wrong can create a huge impact on your website’s usability and traffic.
- Ensure a responsive design
With Macs, laptops, iPads, iPhones and tablets all displaying at different sizes, it’s important to have a responsive design which can adjust to different screen sizes. This requires a lot of testing, trialling, fixing and trying again, but it’s worth all the hard work to ensure any user on any device can access and use your site.
These points are the basis for solid web design and strong WordPress web development. Applying these will improve the overall impression given to your consumers and maximise the user experience. This should mean an increase in traffic, lower bounce rate, more marketability and a delightful website for your consumers to use. Pair your great web design with quality content written with SEO in mind and your website will be unstoppable.