How to design an aesthetically pleasing website

Designing a website is nowhere near as easy as many people assume. While anyone can access the tools needed to build their own website, not everyone can produce websites that are aesthetically pleasing. Here are the things you need to keep in mind to make your website as attractive as possible.

Remove the Clutter

In any creative field, it is just as important to know when to exercise restraint as it is to show off your artistic flair. In the case of web design, any additional clutter and useless elements on a webpage will not only impede the function of your website by inhibiting navigability, it will also make the whole site look less attractive. Visitors to your website don’t want to be presented with an overload of visual information; they want to be able to pick out the navigation elements instantly, so they can look around.

You can take this idea even further and embrace a minimalist design for your website. Minimalist designs use empty space to emphasize what is there. Have a look at the website for Baltimore SEO Vision Smash for an example of a minimalist approach.

Prioritize the Load

The load of a webpage is the amount of data that a first-time visitor has to download when they first visit your website. In most cases, this is very small, but if you regularly browse the internet over a mobile data network, the usage can quickly add up. Given that lots of people now routinely browse the internet on a mobile device, it is important to give them some consideration. Figure out which aspects of your website justify the most data usage on the part of the user. Strip back the graphical content of the less important areas.

Put navigation First

If your website is difficult or awkward to navigate, visitors aren’t likely to stick around to see what the place is like. Instead, they will simply leave for something more accessible. All your design considerations should be informed first and foremost by the navigability of your website. It often helps to design your website in the most bare-bones way possible and use this skeleton site to sort out your navigation. Once you have a better idea of the layout, it is much easier to focus on the aesthetics.

Consider Your Tone

Tone can mean a lot of different things, but to be honest, you need to consider all of them! For example, the tone of your website could refer to the color scheme. It is important that the colors of your website aren’t unpleasant or uncomfortable for a viewer to look at. You can use colors that clash with one another to great effect but remember that ultimately, a website needs to be functional, so don’t get too carried away with the arty side.

Use High-Quality Images

It seems crazy in 2018, but some websites still don’t seem to understand the importance of high-quality images. High-quality pictures will require more data and increase the load of a webpage, however, given how easy it is to come by high-quality images are today, there really is no reason not to use them.

Creating a website that is functional is important, but you also want it to be enjoyable for a viewer to browse. If you want your website to be aesthetically pleasing, yet still functional, you need to marry your artistic sensibilities with your design instincts.