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10 Must Have Website DesignElementsAugust 18, 2016 by Brian Childers

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Businesses that depend on their website for a large portion or even the entirety of their streamcannot afford to settle for less than optimal web design. What constitutes superior web design?The answer to that question is many-fold, but every design element must contribute toconverting the traffic driven to your website by your online ads and SEO efforts and encourageheightened customer retention and satisfaction.

While the list of important design elements for business websites could be extended indefinitely,the following 10 web design features are arguably the most vital:

1. Easy Accessibility

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Perhaps, the most basic and most crucial factor of all is that your website be fully accessiblefrom all major web browsers, including mobile browsers. Unless your website is mobile Webresponsive, you could be losing over half of your potential site visitors, and if Google Chrome,Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, or Android Browser does not function well with your site, youcould easily discourage a tenth or more of would-be visitors.

2. Simple NavigationIt is imperative that those who arrive at your website be able toquickly find what they are looking for and navigate it with ease.One strategy to simplify navigation is to use “hamburger” or“accordion” style menus in place of long drop-down menus. A

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site map is another possible solution. However it isaccomplished, visitors should never feel “lost” or “trapped” amongyour webpages.

3. Excellent Credibility

Not only must people be able to find and navigate your site with ease, but once there, theyshould be confident they can safely use it. Using https will show you have been credentialed asthe authentic site you claim to be. Including verifiable contact information, a clearly writtenAbout Us page, good grammar/spelling, and valid links will all also tend to increase customerconfidence.

4. Quick Load Times

Websites with high bounce rates, minimal time spent on the site, and few pages viewed per visit

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will have devastatingly low conversion rates. One reason for this poor performance is often slowloading times. Users should be able to load your pages quickly from any device and withoutperfect memory and Wi-Fi connection conditions.

5. Social Media IntegrationThe dominance and multiplicity of social mediaplatforms on the modern Web demands the attentionof every small business’ website. The placement ofsocial media buttons in prominent locations andposting recent Tweets/social media updates to piqueinterest are helpful. And adding your own social loginto create a “user community” is often a great way tooffer exclusive discounts and create customerloyalty.

6. Well Designed Forms

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Many times, the only way to obtain visitors’ email or other contact data is to make them aspecial offer if they fill out a short form. However, forms that are not clearly labeled as to purpose,have too many fields to fill in, or ask for non-essential information are likely to be left blank.Optimizing form design is key to maximizing conversion rates.

7. Website-Based Email MarketingBy use of WordPress and/or other webdesign software, a professional web designcompany can integrate your website withyour email marketing strategy. Websitescan generate emails automatically afterform completions, registrations, and orderplacements. Each page visited or productordered can be linked to different emailsthat will make follow-up maximally relevant to each contact.

8. A Streamlined Check-Out System

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Specialized re-marketing software can help your recover some of your abandoned shoppingcarts, but far better to minimize their number to begin with. To get as many customers to theend of the check-out line, use as few steps (pages) as possible in the process, keep design simpleand intuitive, and use progress trackers that show the would-be buyer’s previous, current, andnext steps.

9. Use Pleasant/Effective Aesthetics

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Your website needs to be easy to read, using 14-point or higher fonts and unique, brand-specificicons. Using an “F” screen pattern for text also helps. This means putting the most importantinformation toward the top and left of the screen since people read webpages the same way asbooks (top-to-bottom and left-to-right). Three final strategies are using a grid to createorganization, using complementary colors to create harmony, and leaving plenty of white spaceto minimize clutter.

10. Eliminate “Roadblocks”Website users should never be simply “stuck.” Even if they typed in an incorrect character orclicked once in the wrong place, it is the web designer’s responsibility to use “contingencydesign strategies” that give users “another chance.”

All of these 10 vital web design elements, and additional website optimizations, can beincorporated into your website via advanced web design software. As many businessmen/women don’t have the time to become expert web designers themselves, however, it isoften best to rely on an experienced, proven web design company.

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About Brian ChildersBrian Childers is the CEO of Foxxr, a web design and internet marketingcompany based in Capitola, CA. Childers is a community leader and speaker

about marketing strategies for small business. Follow Brian on Twitter

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10 Must Have Website Design Elements - This article was originally written at foxxr.comBusinesses that depend on their website for a large portion or even the entirety of their streamcannot afford to settle for less than optimal web design. What constitutes superior web design?The answer to that question is many-fold, but every design element must contribute to convertingthe traffic driven to your website by your online ads and SEO efforts and encourage heightenedcustomer retention and...+1

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