What Makes a Good Website Design?

If you’re reading this, you’re certainly not a part of a major problem in the web design industry. 

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Hear me out. 

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Template-based no-code website builders like Squarespace and Wix have revolutionized web development. You select a template, customize it to match your brand identity, and press publish. 

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Sounds simple.

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Except it’s not.

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And that’s where the problem arises. 

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There are way too many people (28.7 million approx) who consider themselves web designers merely because they can ‘self-assemble’ a website. The result is a bloated, non-functional, overdesigned website with a bad UX.

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Chris Bayles, owner and creative director at Mint Sauce Media says, “From the perspective of service providers, I think many people claim to be professional web designers or developers just because they know how to build a website in WordPress and other platforms. While that's obviously important, you also need to consider the design, UX and UI, the flow and strategy, copywriting, professional photography, and more. In my experience, many don’t have this knowledge. We often get businesses coming to us because their websites are underperforming, and we can see why straightaway!” 

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Good web design is more than arranging (or rearranging) elements on a web page to make it look ‘pretty.’ It requires skill and expertise in different areas like user experience, copywriting, design, marketing strategy, and more. The web design must be effective enough to achieve the goal it was made for. 

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So what exactly makes web design good?

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This blog dives deep into website architecture to help you understand what exactly it takes to build a successful website design. 

Elements of a Good Website Design

Poor web design can be expensive—a price you may have to pay with your reputation and customer trust. 

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88% of people won’t return after a poor user experience with a website. To prevent site visitors from leaving your website, you must learn the digital design elements of a good web design.

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Below, we talk about the 10 most important ones.

1. Balance your website’s purpose with user intent
2. Maintain a consistent brand identity
3. Maintain a visual hierarchy
4. Understand that your website is a collection of web pages
5. Marry UX with UI
6. Focus on streamlining navigation
7. Don’t skip multi-device optimization
8. Look for broken links and bugs
9. Testing is the way to go
10. Blindly following trends is a no-go

Let's dive in. 

1. Balance your website’s purpose with user intent

Determining your website’s purpose is crucial for its success. Once you’ve done that, you can build a website strategy around it, and look into finer details like what actions you want site visitors to take when they land on a web page. 

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Each webpage should serve a distinct purpose aligned with user motivations. By asking yourself what prompts a user to land on a particular page, you can tailor the design, content, and calls to action accordingly.

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This will pave the way for clarity about web design and parameters to measure the website’s success.

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For example, if you’re a B2B web development firm aiming to attract high-value clients, your website should prominently feature detailed case studies, client testimonials, and a portfolio of successful projects. Including CTAs like “Schedule a Consultation” or “Request a Free Website Audit” will guide visitors to take specific actions, enhancing conversion rates and providing clear metrics to measure success.

However, regardless of whether your dynamic website disseminates practical knowledge, offers entertainment, or facilitates transactions, the core purpose should remain consistent—providing a unified user experience throughout.

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Take a look at Mubasic’s single-page website, for reference:

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The hero section of the site boldly clearly declares itself as the ‘The #1 source for children’s music,’ speaking directly to its target audience. 

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Beyond its captivating visual design appeal, every aspect of the design is carefully crafted with user-centricity in mind. 

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From the interactive elements like the piano keys to the distinct Lottie animations, the site seamlessly blends simplicity and musical inspiration. Upon landing on the page, users are immediately immersed in an experience tailored to their needs and preferences.

2. Maintain a consistent brand identity

Which brand comes to mind immediately when you think of the vibrant combination of bright yellow and red?

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McDonald's perhaps? 

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Similarly, if you have ever seen a color, font, or image and immediately associated it with a brand, you've experienced the power of brand consistency. 

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Inconsistent branding works against your overall UX design, negatively impacting your brand identity by creating confusion, diluting your recognition, and weakening your credibility. 

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Things become pretty clear when we look at New Century Chamber Orchestra’s old website.

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The first thing that comes to mind when you see this is visual design inconsistency. 

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There is no cohesion of color palette throughout the side, with multiple different shades of blue and pink. They have rebranded since then but their old design is simply off-putting.

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Amply Founder and CEO, Cade Biegel, aptly emphasizes the critical role of a consistent brand identity in fostering business growth. He says. "Having a strong brand identity can help you punch above your weight when it comes to selling your product." 

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As per a study, maintaining brand consistency has the potential to boost revenue by 10-20%.

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The question is: 

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How do you go about establishing a consistent identity? 

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Know that brand identity is not just about a single website element. 

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You don’t just focus on the logo or the colors. It is rather an amalgamation of various site elements, including fonts, typography, colors, images, logos, white space, structure, and even auditory cues. 

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Take a look at Fat Choy’s website:

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They've maintained a consistent ‘scrap art’ vibe across their website, with uniform fonts and muted colors that accentuate bold black ink, leaving a significant impact on the audience.

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The food images used here reflect a sort of scrapbook/sketchbook-like aesthetic that is the common theme throughout the website.

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Such consistent branding ensures the effectiveness of your web design by:

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• Building brand recognition
• Creating a cohesive and seamless user experience
• Reinforcing your brand’s central message and personality

3. Maintain a visual hierarchy

Visual hierarchy dictates the organization of elements based on their significance. You can achieve this through elements like text size, color, imagery, contrast, typography, whitespace, animations, and more.

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Its primary purpose is to establish a focal point, guiding website visitors toward the most crucial information on a webpage. 

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Below is Wayfair's web design which doesn’t follow visual hierarchy. 

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As you can see, the site is confusing. Website visitors are torn between multiple similar options with no indication of what is central to the brand’s marketing. 

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It is a haphazard collection of offerings thrown on the proverbial wall to see what sticks. Contrast this to Webflow’s site:

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The hero banner immediately draws you in with its suspenseful copy. ‘More than a website builder’—the next few lines go into more detail about it. And soon enough you are prompted to take action with a strong CTA: start building (your own website).

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Understanding how users engage with your website content is crucial for effective design. Reading patterns like F-shaped and Z-shaped patterns come into play here.  

F-Pattern

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The F-Pattern describes the typical eye-scanning behavior of users when viewing web content. In essence, users tend to read in an 'F' shape, moving rapidly across a page within seconds. This pattern was identified through an eye-tracking study conducted by NNGroup, which observed over 200 users examining thousands of web pages. It revealed a consistent reading behavior characterized by three main components:

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• Users initially scan horizontally across the upper part of the content area, forming the top of the 'F.'
• Next, they vertically scan down the left side of the screen, focusing on the initial sentences of paragraphs for points of interest. This creates a second, shorter horizontal line of the 'F' pattern.
• Finally, users continue scanning vertically down the left side of the content.

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(F-Pattern heat map)

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This pattern highlights how users swiftly navigate web content, emphasizing the importance of optimizing content layout to capture their attention effectively. It works best for text-heavy websites.

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Using this pattern, you can work on prioritizing your content effectively as well. The most important content should land at position 1 and the least important at position 4. 

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Webflow’s landing page in the example above follows the same F-pattern. 

Z-Pattern

The Z-pattern layout leverages the natural reading habits of users by guiding their eyes along a predictable path. This design strategy is particularly effective for websites that aren’t informationally dense, such as landing pages or product showcases.

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Here’s how it works: Users start scanning from the top left corner, moving horizontally across the top of the page, which is where you place the most important information or branding elements. As their eyes naturally move diagonally down to the bottom left, this is the prime spot for a key message or an engaging image. Finally, they sweep across the bottom right, where a strong call-to-action (CTA) should be positioned.

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By aligning important information with these key zones, the Z-pattern ensures that users interact with your primary messages and actions in a seamless flow, making it easier to capture their attention and drive desired user behaviors.

4. Understand that your website is a collection of web pages

A website thrives on the collective strength of its web pages. Each serves a distinct purpose, yet they must seamlessly connect to create a comprehensive user journey.

Homepage

The homepage acts as the first impression, setting the tone and introducing your brand. A captivating hero section should effectively communicate your value proposition. 

Clear calls to action guide visitors towards desired actions, while testimonials establish trust and credibility.

Foursixty's visually appealing homepage strategically uses images, and a prominent free trial offer, and showcases reputable brands as social proof to capture attention and establish credibility within seconds.

Product pages

Product pages are your virtual storefronts. Accurate and detailed product information alongside persuasive messaging effectively highlights features and benefits. 

High-quality visuals and testimonials further solidify trust and encourage conversions.

Bellroy's product page exemplifies the power of visuals, instantly conveying the value proposition of their product.

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The pricing page

The pricing page is often an afterthought for most websites. And assuming that every website that needs a pricing page has one is natural. 

For example, SaaS companies require a pricing page to showcase their value to the customers. But you’ll be surprised to discover that 46.2% of SaaS companies don’t have a pricing page! 

And even if they do, it’s either confusing or a page with a ‘false promise’ aka ‘contact sales.’ A pricing page bluff. 

The pricing page should present clear and simple pricing tiers, highlighting associated benefits to emphasize the value proposition. Below are a few pricing page best practices:

• Avoid false promise pricing page.
• Create an intuitive layout to help potential customers understand your pricing model and site features easily.
• Offer billing period options like a 3-month plan or a yearly plan.
• Highlight the best-selling plan like this website.

• Adapt currency to customers’ regions.

Demo pages 

Demo pages show users how exactly your product works. Interactive demos or video tutorials allow visitors to experience firsthand how the product addresses their needs. 

Clear instructions for accessing the demo, coupled with compelling messaging that emphasizes key features and benefits, are essential to drive conversions.

Optimizing each page is paramount. Compelling content, intuitive navigation, and clear calls to action are crucial for creating a consistent user experience that fosters engagement and ultimately drives business growth.

By understanding the distinct roles of each webpage and ensuring their optimization, you can craft a website that effectively guides visitors through their journey, transforming them into loyal customers.

5. Marry UX with UI

Your user experience and user interface should work in tandem with one another rather than standing against each other. There needs to be a connection between what the users see (UI) and how you want them to feel (UX). 

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Take a look at Daily Mail’s website. 

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It’s unappealing, unwelcoming, and non-intuitive. 

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Ideally, this news website should make it simple for you to go through your daily news review. However, the developers didn’t give much thought to the UX when designing the UI. Littered with ads, irrelevant information, and excessive clutter just doesn’t let the website achieve its goal. 

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We would not blame you if you thought that the website was primarily meant for job hunting, given how much area that banner covers (🥴). 

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Marrying UX with UI is crucial because UX focuses on the overall experience and ease of use, while UI ensures that the interface is visually engaging and functionally intuitive. 

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When UX and UI are aligned, they create a cohesive experience where usability and aesthetics enhance each other, leading to more effective and satisfying user interactions. 

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Think of it like designing a luxury car: the UX is the smooth, responsive driving experience, while the UI is the sleek, intuitive dashboard; together, they ensure a seamless and enjoyable ride.

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Here’s Mural, a brand that tells you what it does, and immediately asks you to try out their stand-out feature and follows it up with an interactive video. 

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Now, that’s how you marry your UI and UX together. 

6. Focus on streamlining navigation

Improving website navigation is vital for brands to enhance user experience. Despite having exceptional content and features, if visitors face difficulty in locating them, the overall value of the website diminishes. 

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In his book ‘Don’t Make Me Think’ Steve Krug, a UX consultant with over 30 years of experience, writes, “The elements of web navigation should be obvious, easy to understand, and self-explanatory.”

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Navigation is a crucial aspect of website UX design. Here's a checklist of best practices:

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• Descriptive navigation labels: Add descriptive labels instead of generic ones like Products or Services to clearly convey the page's content. This enhances both SEO and usability, ensuring visitors understand the page's purpose. If the primary label is something generic like Services, or Solutions, you need to add further info when the user interacts with that element.
  
  

• Mega menus over drop-downs: Menus that require too much scrolling can quickly become annoying for your users. Long and drawn-out drop-down menus are the biggest offenders in this case.
  
  Use mega menus instead. They reflect your contextual offerings and services in a clean rectangular UI element that often requires zero scrolling and provides users with all the info they need in a bite-sized format. 

• Add CTAs in your header: Your audiences are intelligent. If they want to try out the product without having to go through multiple clicks, then let them. To this end, you can put a CTA directly in your header, encouraging users to forgo the reading for a more hands-on experience. 

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7. Don’t skip out on multi-device optimization

More than 60% of website traffic originates from mobile devices. 

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What does that mean for your web design? 

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That web designers can no longer simply create a website that looks amazing on a PC and ignore how it will translate onto a mobile interface that has a different aspect ratio and resolution.

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Not working on building a responsive design can cost you millions. In fact, in 2019, Hertz sued Accenture for $32 million for neglecting optimization for iPads. 

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You need to incorporate multi-device optimization so your sites function just as well on any platform as they would on a conventional PC. 

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You don’t need to shoot in the dark to create a responsive design. Make sure you optimize for the mobile site by verifying that it adheres to Google's mobile-first indexing policy. Use Google's Mobile-Friendly Test to assess your site's mobile responsiveness.

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And do have some special elements that streamline mobile search. For instance, mega menus aren’t as viable when your screen is longer than it is wider. In such cases, go for hamburger menus. Do the same for other elements of your website to create a seamless experience for your users without losing your brand identity. 

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We personally love you Webflow has optimized its pricing page for mobile devices. 

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Here’s how it looks on the desktop version.

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Here’s how it is on the mobile site. 

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8. Incorporate clear CTAs

If a website is a gateway between a user and brand awareness, the CTA functions as a zipline between leads and conversions. Thus, their importance cannot be overstated. Direct visitors towards the intended action, such as submitting a contact form, signing up for a free trial, or requesting a product demo. 

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Once again, be descriptive if you can. Instead of simply saying Free Trial, mention the duration. You can say 30-day Free Trial to clearly convey your message. You can also have some incentives attached to your CTA like The Budgetnista did on multiple occasions.

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All in all, you have a lot of options. Choose one that fits your style and would resonate with your audience the best. 

9. Blindly following trends is a no-go

While web design trends offer exciting visual possibilities, prioritizing them over core website functionality can be detrimental.

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Focus on user experience. Certain trendy elements, like autoplaying videos or intrusive pop-ups, can disrupt user experience by hindering navigation and causing distractions. 

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Similarly, visually complex elements might increase loading times and affect user engagement. 

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For example, large, flashy animations may grab attention initially. But if they slow down loading times or interfere with user interaction (clicking buttons, reading text), they become counterproductive.

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The key lies in achieving a balance between incorporating design trends and maintaining website usability. This doesn't mean completely avoiding trends; rather, it means using them strategically to enhance, not hinder, the user experience.

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Carefully evaluate if a trend aligns with your brand identity and caters to your target audience. 

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A playful and youthful brand might effectively leverage bold colors and interactive elements, while a website focused on financial services might prioritize a more professional and streamlined design.

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Prioritize user experience and thoughtfully integrate web design trends that complement your brand identity. This way you can create a captivating website that is both visually appealing and functionally effective.

Website Design Ideas from Real World Examples 

Here are a few websites that stand as excellent examples for your budding and creative designer mind. Let’s dive in. 

Baseborn

The first thing you notice when you enter Baseborn’s site is the inverted cursor that props up with the words ‘Work View’ when it hovers over the…work view. 

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As you scroll down, you see various designs that the studio created all while the logo and branding remain ever-present on your screen.

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When you click on the navigation elements, the site fluidly displays entire pages of contextual information. The only thing they are missing would be a CTA in the header. 

SPINX Digital

It’s bold, it’s compelling, and it’s focused. Oh, and it also gives you a custom cursor with a color that works best with the site background. 

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The vibrant green hue on the website aligns with the SPINX Digital logo and captures the user’s attention immediately upon landing on the site. The responsive design ensures a smooth browsing experience on different screen sizes. 

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Website designers have cleverly used iconography and clear text to effectively convey USP without overcrowding the space. It is a masterclass in color theory and typography. 

FPP

If you want to learn how to consolidate your offline and online stores, no one does it better than FPP. They provide an interactive experience that mimics a real shopping scenario by putting you in the shoes of a shopper moving through their shopping aisles. It’s visual content at its best. 

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They take you on a journey that is equal parts fascinating and practical. And once you are done enjoying that virtual tour, this is where you land. 

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And that is followed by a compelling CTA. Absolutely brilliant site design!

Create Your Dream Website With Amply

As we mentioned, building a great website requires time and expertise. You need to learn which design elements work well and which might bloat your website. Or which homepage design will assert your company’s mission and how to use interactive elements and optimize for a mobile site? 

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If you want to build your own site quickly that offers an engaging experience as users scroll, and not a non-functional one, it’s better to seek help. 

At Amply, we bring extensive experience in web development, branding, and SEO to the table. Our team combines these skills to deliver a website that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.

Ready to see how we can transform your online presence? Let’s connect and explore what we can create together.

Book a call to get first-hand experience now.

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