Web Page - Landing Page Design Basics
By Dave Maloney
A successful web page design has to a lot more going on with it than just "looking nice." In fact, a beautiful, fully-loaded-bells-and-whistles-work-of-art page design may actually be turning visitors away rather than reeling them in!
Some Web Page Design Basics to Keep in Mind
- One Main Idea per Page. Have one big headline to grab attention and tell what the page is about. You can have sub-headers in different sections on the page, but make sure one main idea stands out easily. Too many sections screaming for attention means none get any attention! (All your SEO work was for nothing!)
- Keep it Easy to Read. Choose a typestyle that isn't going to hurt people's eyes while they're reading. Don't have more than 2 different fonts max, it just distracts. Likewise with choosing colors, you don't need to use them all!
- White Space is important! Huge paragraphs are a turn-off; break them up into smaller, more appealing bites. Remember, "Less is More!" If a reader wants to read more of what you have to say, direct them to another page where they can.
- Images are nice to add life to your page design. Make sure they support your message and aren't distracting from it. A generic piece of clipart doesn't make a huge impression.
- Make it clear what you want your visitors to do next. Your web page's primary function is to bring you more business; you wouldn't want to lose a sale because a potential customer who just walked in to your store couldn't figure out what aisle to go down. A Call to Action invites your visitor to where you want them to go next, and should be placed in your design where it can't and won't be missed.
You want your web page design to be attention grabbing and visually interesting for your visitors, but more importantly it needs to be simple and easy to follow. Not only will it be easier for search engines to crawl your site and better for SEO, but human being customers will appreciate your straightforwardness as well!