Sure, the website you’re designing looks gorgeous, but does it look professional? You see, just because a site looks great doesn’t automatically mean that it satisfies the criteria of what most people perceive to be professional. You also need to keep in mind that many potential customers and business partners are not easily impressed by the bells and whistles that web designers tend to put in their work.
So what should you, the web designer, do to make your work look more professional? Here are some tips that should help you in that regard.
1. Whitespace
Many web designers are guilty of visual overkill. Of course, they overdo it with borders, drop shadows, and colors simply because they can. Too bad flashiness turns off a lot of visitors because they don’t exactly scream “professional.” It also tends to make a page look cramped. For a more professional look, websites should give a page’s design elements more breathing space, and the best way to do that is to provide it with plenty of white or negative space.
2. Easy navigation
Before showing off his or her skills, a web designer should prioritize making the site easy to navigate. Ease of navigation, after all, is what impresses many users, who are always in a hurry and won’t tolerate any confusion caused by a cluttered design.
3. Use the right fonts, and properly
Fonts play a crucial role in conveying the message of a business. If a website is dedicated to a product or service that’s fun and entertaining, then it would be okay to use fun-looking fonts. If the business is a little on the serious side, then use fonts that match its style and culture. It’s also important to use larger fonts for headings, subheadings, titles, and other essential information. The fonts should also be easy to read. Fonts that are too small are hardly a way to present the website as professional.
4. Color coordination
Colors have a significant impact on the overall design of a website. The colors must blend well together. It would also be great for a web designer to use the psychology of color in his or her design because colors play a huge role not only in conveying what the website’s business is all about but also in generating leads and potential customers.
5. Use large, high-quality images
Few things can make a site look as professional as it can get that big, high-quality, images. People are visual animals, and the sight of beautiful photography will likely draw them in and become leads and conversions.
6. Just one CTA
One mistake some web designers make is putting in multiple calls to action, which is akin to all vendors in a wet market calling you out to buy their product. It’s confusing and decidedly unprofessional. Any given website should only have one main CTA with graphical accents and a highly visible placement to draw the attention of visitors.
7. Responsive web design
With Google implementing the Mobile-First Index, designing a website to be responsive should already be a no-brainer. Websites need to display well on phones, tablets, and other mobile devices because Google now ranks a website based on its mobile version.
For many people, mobile responsiveness has also become a measure of how professional a website is. After all, being easily accessible across all platforms makes a website appear more professional. Besides, what do you think would mobile users think of your site if it doesn’t cater to them? They outnumber desktop users these days, and making websites perform well on their devices of choice is not only professional but also makes a lot of business sense.
The above tips are just some of the ways that can give any website a more professional look. Apply them and raise the professional profile of any website you work on.
About The Author
Anthony Tisara is the SEO Manager at SEOPhoenix.net, an SEO company which helps businesses grow their revenue and achieve long-term success through cutting-edge Internet marketing. He enjoys traveling with his family and organizing weekly trivia events with his friends.
