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In the first of this three-part series, I’m going to let you in on some of the secrets of good web design, and demonstrate why introducing them to your site will give you a better return on your investment in the long term.  In this article, we look at design.

In order to make your website work harder for you in the long term, you need to plan ahead and figure out how you can “future-proof” it.  You don’t want to be spending your hard-earned to start again in 12 months time.  By following some solid principles, you can get the most out of what you spend now.

1. Avoid trends

Trends can quickly look dated, eh Chris?

Trends and fads quickly come and go.  They’re like the carbon-dating of websites; some sites you can almost date to within six months of their launch because they’ve followed a trend.  Don’t follow the crowd and you can avoid your site quickly looking out of date.

2. Identify what sets you apart

What makes you different?  Why should a customer buy from you and not from your competitor?  What’s your USP?  You might not think you have a USP, but you do.  The best web designers will get to know you and what makes you tick and get this across in the design of the website.

3. Follow solid design principles

Take a moment to look up from your computer screen and consider the design principles that work in the wider world around us.  Choose clear and elegant typography and a clean layout.  Visitors to your site need to find information or products quickly and be able to read it easily.  Think carefully about your use of colours.

4. Use clear labels and navigation

What the?!? Why do web designers still do this?

This is something that drives me nuts.  When potential customers come to your website, they want to find information or products and they want to find them quickly.  Say what it is, don’t try to be clever.  Call something “News” not “The Latest”.  Conventional naming of pages (About, Contact us etc.) is used for a reason; it’s what people are used to seeing and it helps them find stuff easily.

5. Plan ahead – make it scaleable

Don’t just think about what you need to say on your website now – think about the future too.  If you know that you’re likley to want to increase the number of pages in six months time, make sure your menu is flexible enough to accommodate them.  If you think you’re going to want to add a blog to the site later, plan for it now, so you don’t have to redesign the site later.

Coming next: Good web design – Part 2: Build