Many business owners rely on their website to generate buzz and page views that turn into sales. But what makes a website successful? A basic foundation of any effective commercial website is the design, which you can craft with ease by knowing several universal rules.

Create a Professional Logo

An effective website starts with a professional logo. This is important because logos visually represent what your company embraces. They are also important for reaching new customers and ultimately establishing a loyalty toward your brand. Additionally, logos are easy to recognize and associate with a company–they are basic name recognition at work.

But what makes for a professional logo? Every company is different and has different needs, but a good place to start is your image. You want this image to symbolize your company and it needs to be concise, uncluttered. People should see it right away and know what it means, whether it is a distinct shape, a letter, or abbreviation.

Next, you need to focus on color scheme. It needs to be readable and grab the user’s attention. Colors can also represent meaning. Red, for example, is often used to show energy, passion, love, and determination. Yellow, conversely, is often associated with feelings of happiness and intellect.

Emphasize Breathing Room

So many companies today think the key to gaining attention is by deploying a broad, multimedia approach. This usually clutters a website and actually impairs the user experience. Incorporate some breathing space as much as possible. Make sure content and multimedia are not muddled into one. If longer posts are a necessity, break content up by using distinctive subheadings and legible, succinct paragraphs. This allows the reader to take breaks in between sections and avoid overload, which results in disinterest.

Air or white space can make content more legible, encouraging users to focus on different elements of your messaging and gain a more comprehensive knowledge of your brand. These tacks are paramount for gaining new customers; each time a visitor clicks on your page, they feel welcomed and accommodated.

Place Important Elements Above the Fold

Research has shown that people are more receptive to reading content above the fold, the banner or flag that people see before scrolling down. For this reason, try to incorporate important elements at the top of the page. It may be articles about a specific product or calls-to-action that motivate people to use your services.

You should also include a navigation bar at the top so that users can instantly see where to click when they know precisely what they want to see. Create a simple, easy, and quick form above the fold so that people have a way of learning more about your company through weekly, monthly or periodic missives and e-news.

Limit Your Color Scheme

Like professional logos, the color scheme of your website is important to consider. It’s easy to get carried away with a lot of colors. They are fun and can be attention grabbing. However, to use them strategically, and in accordance to your branding, simplify your color scheme by using only a couple colors. Choose colors that complement each other and that are clearly visible against the font color you use. Think about what particular colors emote in the way of mood. You can’t go wrong with standard black and white. Just always make sure you avoid your competitors’ colors; you certainly don’t want to confuse your audience.

What makes the perfect website? Is it vibrant colors that grab attention, or is it interesting content that allows users to learn something new? The truth is, the perfect website design is solely predicated on what your company does and the types of customers it serves around Oklahoma City or beyond. Just make sure you plan extensively, across the board, and don’t hesitate to seek help from professionals who have years of experience in website design.

Sources:

Color Meaning, color-wheel-pro.com
10 Tips That Can Drastically Improve Your Website’s User Experience, hubspot.com