What Makes A Good Website? 20 Characteristics that Make Your Website Stand Out (From Design To User Experience – UX)
What makes a good website is a captivating and thoughtfully designed website which leaves a lasting positive impression on customers, enhances the target user experience, and boosts engagement.
If you’re new to web design, understanding what makes a good website exceptional and knowing how to create one can be a real challenge.
In this guide, of what makes a good website, we will delve into the elements that contribute to outstanding website design, from foundational structure to advanced functionality.
Additionally, we will outline 20 key qualities or characteristics that make top-tier websites, offering valuable insights to help you craft an engaging and user-friendly online presence.
What Makes A Good Website ?: What To Consider When Designing A Website
When building a website for the first time, understanding what makes a good website is crucial. Here are key factors to consider ensuring your site stands out, attracts visitors, and meets its goals.
DESIGN
A website’s design is the first thing visitors notice and significantly impacts their interaction with your content. Professional web design can set your site apart from competitors and attract more visitors. Here are some best practices:
Apply Engaging Color Schemes
Colors create visual interest and convey emotions. Use color theory to choose schemes that align with your brand’s identity. Tools like Adobe Color and Colors can help you generate appealing color palettes.
Choose the Right Fonts
Font selection affects accessibility and user experience. Use web-safe fonts like Arial, Times, and Helvetica to ensure compatibility across devices. Choose appropriate font sizes and spacing to enhance readability.
Create a Clear Visual Hierarchy
Arrange elements strategically so visitors can easily navigate your site. Use color, proportion, and contrast to highlight important elements. Employ grids and whitespace to create an organized layout.
Consider Web Accessibility
Ensure your website is accessible to all users, and individuals with disabilities. Add alt text to images, structure headings logically, and provide captions for video and audio content. Use tools like WEBAIM to test accessibility.
FUNCTIONALITY
Each website serves a different purpose. What makes a good website in terms of functionality is to define your website’s objectives based on your target audience. Whether it’s an eCommerce site or a business informative site, aligning your design and development efforts with clear goals benefits both the business and its target users.
FEATURES
Modern websites should include essential features to enhance usability:
Clear and Attention-Grabbing Headline
Explain what the website is about and entice visitors to explore further.
Hero Image or Video
Convey the website’s message or theme prominently.
Navigation Menu
Ensure it’s easy to use and clearly labels sections and pages.
Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons
Encourage specific actions like purchasing or signing up for a newsletter.
Social Proof
Include testimonials or partner badges to build trust.
Clear and Concise Content
Make it easy to read with consistent messaging.
Images and Videos
Break up text and provide additional information.
SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION – SEO
One of the most important approach to what makes a good website is implementing search engine optimization (SEO), which is very vital for your website to have higher search engine rankings. Follow these best practices for an SEO-friendly website design:
Keyword Research
Identify and target the right keywords to ensure your website reaches the appropriate audience.
Technical Optimization
Ensure your website loads quickly, is free of broken links, and is mobile-friendly. Use web analytics to track performance.
Create Quality Backlinks
Generate high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to enhance your website’s authority and ranking online.
Content Optimization
Create keyword-rich content with semantically related words. Structure content with heading tags and other HTML elements to make it easier for search engines to index.
USER EXPERIENCE
User experience (UX) design focuses on meeting users’ needs and preferences. What makes a good website is an effective UX design which keeps customers engaged and ensures their journey is straightforward. Here are some principles:
Understand Your Audience
Know your target audience’s goals, pain points, and behavior. Use this information to design an intuitive website.
Leverage Visuals and Concise Copy
Use visuals and concise copy to create a positive experience. Logical navigation helps users find what they need easily.
What makes A Good Website ?: 20 QUALITIES THAT MAKE A GOOD WEBSITE
Creating an outstanding website involves several key qualities that enhance user experience and achieve business goals. In this blog post, we’ll explore the qualities that make a good website, ensuring it stands out in a competitive digital landscape.
1. Easy to Navigate
Easy navigation is a fundamental quality to what makes a good website. Users should find information effortlessly with clear menus and intuitive layouts. An easy-to-navigate structure keeps visitors engaged and reduces the bounce rate, making navigation a crucial factor in user experience.
To ensure your website is easy to navigate, consider incorporating the following elements:
Header: Positioned at the top of the site, the header contains links to the main sections. An effective header is concise, informative, and engaging, providing context for the content that follows.
Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs display the user’s current location within the site, allowing easy navigation back to previous sections. They are particularly useful for websites with hierarchical or multi-level navigation structures but less so for single-page websites.
Search Bar: A search bar enables users to quickly find specific content within the website.
Footer: Located at the bottom of the page, the footer includes links to important pages such as the terms of use (TOU), privacy policy, and contact information.
Site Map: A site map offers an overview of the entire website and its structure, helping users easily locate what they need.
Drop-Down Menu: Drop-down menus allow users to access sub-pages or sub-sections of a main section without returning to the main menu.
Back and Forward Buttons: Typically found on the browser, these buttons allow users to navigate easily between previously visited pages.
2. Good Page Speed
Good page speed is essential for retaining visitors. Pages that load slowly frustrate users and cause higher bounce rates from your website. Optimize images, use caching, and minimize scripts to improve load times. Fast page speed is also a critical factor for SEO, influencing search engine rankings and user satisfaction.
3. Responsive Design
A responsive design guarantees your website looks and functions flawlessly on all devices, significantly enhancing user experience. By adapting to various screen sizes, responsive design provides a seamless browsing experience on desktops, tablets, and smartphones. This is essential because a substantial portion of web traffic now originates from mobile devices.
4. Follow Security Protocols
Following security protocols is vital. Implement HTTPS and regularly update software to protect user data and build trust. HTTPS encrypts data exchanged between your website and visitors, increasing security and user trust. Regular software updates patch vulnerabilities and protect against cyber threats.
5. Optimized for Search Engines
Mastering SEO optimization is crucial for boosting your website’s visibility. Use relevant keywords, meta tags, and quality content to enhance your site’s search engine ranking. Incorporate the keyword “qualities that make a good website” naturally throughout your content to optimize for SEO.
6. Structured Data
Implementing structured data enhances search engines’ comprehension of your content, boosting your website’s SEO performance. Implement schema markup to enhance search engine listings and improve visibility. Structured data enables rich snippets in search results, providing additional information that can increase click-through rates and improve user engagement.
7. Simple Inquiry and Checkout Process
Simplify inquiry and checkout processes to enhance user experience and reduce cart abandonment. Easy-to-use forms and a streamlined checkout process are crucial for converting visitors into customers. Minimize steps required to complete a purchase and offer multiple payment options.
8. Up to Date Content
Regularly updating content keeps it relevant and engaging. Fresh content improves SEO and encourages repeat visits from users. Update your blog, news section, and product pages with new information, insights, and offers to ensure visitors always find something valuable on your site.
9. Clear Value Proposition
Clearly communicate your unique value proposition is another important aspect to what makes a good website. show how unique your products or services are apart from competitors. Your value proposition should be prominently displayed on your homepage, key landing pages, using compelling language and visuals to make it stand out.
10. Good Copy
Good copy is vital for a website. Well-written, concise text that resonates with your audience drives engagement and conversions. Effective copywriting involves understanding your audience’s needs and preferences, using clear and compelling language, and incorporating relevant keywords naturally.
11. Relevant Content
Providing relevant content addresses your audience’s needs and interests. This fosters trust and establishes you as a leading authority in your field. Create high-quality, informative, and engaging content that helps your audience solve problems and achieve their goals, improving user engagement and enhancing your SEO ranking.
12. Clear CTAs
Clear calls to action (CTAs) ensure users take desired actions. Use compelling and concise language to encourage clicks and conversions. Place CTAs strategically throughout your website, ensuring they stand out visually and are easy to follow, increasing the likelihood of user interaction.
13. Quality Visuals
High-quality visuals enhance your website’s appeal. Use professional images, videos, and graphics to make your content more engaging and visually appealing. Quality visuals capture attention, improve user experience, and make your website more memorable and attractive to visitors.
14. Maintain Site Engagement
Maintain site engagement with interactive elements like blogs, forums, and social media links. Consistent updates captivate users and encourage repeat visits to your website. Interactive elements encourage user interaction and build a sense of community, enhancing user satisfaction and loyalty.
15. Capture Quality Leads
Effective lead capture forms are essential for building your mailing list and following up with potential customers. Simplify lead capture forms, ask for essential information only, and provide a clear value proposition. Capturing quality leads helps grow your business and achieve marketing goals.
16. Consistent Branding
Consistently branding across your website creates awareness and trust. Use the same colors, fonts, and logos to maintain a cohesive brand identity. Consistent branding enhances user experience by creating a familiar and professional look, improving brand recognition and user trust.
17. Accessibility
Ensure your website is accessible to all users, and individuals with disabilities. Follow web accessibility guidelines to create an inclusive user experience. Accessibility features benefit all users, improve user satisfaction, and help you comply with legal requirements.
18. Social Media Integration
Integrate social media to extend your reach. Enable content sharing and provide links to your social media profiles to increase engagement. Social media integration allows you to engage with your audience on multiple platforms, increasing your reach and influence.
19. Analytics and Tracking
Leverage analytics and tracking tools to meticulously monitor and optimize your website’s performance. Analyze user behavior to make data-driven improvements and enhance the user experience. Regularly review and analyze your data to identify opportunities for optimization and measure the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
20. User Feedback Mechanisms
Implement user feedback mechanisms like surveys and contact forms. Use feedback to continually refine and improve your website, ensuring it meets user needs. Regularly reviewing and acting on user feedback helps maintain a high-quality, user-friendly website and enhances user satisfaction.
CONCLUSION
What makes a good website is incorporating these factors ensures your website is functional, appealing, and user-friendly. By focusing on design, functionality, essential features, SEO, and user experience, you can create a website that not only meets its goals but also provides a great experience for visitors. Implement these qualities to build a successful and engaging website.
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