When creating a website that will be successful, and effective, you always need to consider the user experience. Potential customers that land on your website want to find what they are looking for, quickly and easily. So designing a website that will meet user needs, and meet them immediately, should be your main focus. However, balancing this user focus with creativity, imagery, typography and fun can be a struggle to fit with a suitable layout. And that’s where a number of companies fall short. Here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, we are Manchester’s leading web design experts. And we work with companies and clients in a range of industry sectors, across Manchester and the North West, to provide stunning web design solutions, that really get results. As a result, we have produced this guide web design layout options to avoid.
Web design layout options to avoid
The layout of your website is one of the most essential considerations. The layout will determine where each element should be positioned, in relation to others. And what the relationship between the elements should be. Blended elements, or completely separate, the choices are literally endless. But not every layout is a good idea. And not every layout will lead to the right results. So here are some of the most common web design layout options to avoid:
- Ignoring white space- white space is the negative space that is used between elements in web design. Keeping each element in its own space draws attention to each item in turn, and keeps things clutter free. Ignoring this white space when planning your layout can be a big mistake.
- Hiding your navigation bar- there’s a reason why navigation bars are pinned across the top of the screen. And why the hamburger menu can be found at the top too. It’s to help people who land on your website, figure out where they need to go from the landing page. Putting your navigation bar at the side, or the bottom of the screen can be a big risk. However, for some companies this can pay off. As long as the design is simple enough to draw attention to the menu, wherever it is. To stay safe, don’t hide the navigation bar. Put it where your users feel like it should be: the top of the page.
- Blocks of text- every website needs enough text to inform users, and convince them to purchase or sign up. But using blocks of text can be extremely off-putting. So if your layout involves adding chunks of text to your web-page, think again. Break the text up with headings and images, and use your layout to guide users through your written content, painlessly.
- Call to action buttons at the bottom of the page- If you’re looking at your website layout, and you think the call to action should be at the bottom, you might have a point. But put one at the top too, just in case. Otherwise you risk losing customers who may not even scroll to the bottom of your text. Instead, these customers will be likely to leave your website, and you will miss out on a conversion.
For more information or professional web design support, get in touch with the team here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester today.