Every team’s nightmare is completing a lengthy web design process only to realize their website delivers a poor user experience (UX). To prevent this from happening, it’s crucial to apply proven web design best practices from the outset.
By following these guidelines, you can enhance UX, lower bounce rates, and strengthen your brand reputation and revenue—delighting visitors with every interaction.
13 Web Design Best Practices to Follow
Effective web design begins with prioritizing the customer and making their journey as intuitive and seamless as possible. This list covers 13 essential areas of web design, offering actionable tips to implement before, during, and after the development process for continuous improvement.
1. User-Centric Design
“Good web design is more than aesthetics,” explains Kristopher Tabaie, a web developer at Lesar UK. “It involves a user-friendly layout, clear navigation, and a clean interface that communicates content effectively. This approach makes your website accessible, both internally and to search engines, by creating an easy-to-navigate experience.”
How can you make your design more customer-focused?
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Start with your website’s primary goals. Clarify who your audience is—potential clients, investors, or employees—and understand what they aim to accomplish. Are they seeking product details, price comparisons, or job applications? How familiar are they with your offerings?
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For ecommerce sites, the main goal is typically sales, with secondary objectives like newsletter signups. Your design should streamline browsing and purchasing, making it obvious and compelling.
Use a framework based on four pillars:
- What do customers want to find?
- Where do they want to go?
- What actions do they want to take?
- What are they looking to purchase?
Tips:
- Develop buyer personas based on real user demographics and roles.
- Conduct research to understand user problems and how your website addresses them.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams—including UX, SEO, content, customer success, and sales—to gather diverse perspectives.
- Create a panel of test users for ongoing feedback—this helps identify pain points early.
- Utilize tools like session replays for granular insights into user behavior, and conduct surveys to understand why users behave a certain way.
2. Follow Design Conventions
While it might be tempting to craft a completely original design, adhering to established conventions helps avoid confusion and bounce rates.
Best practices include:
- Featuring a clear hero section with a concise headline that explains your value proposition quickly.
- Placing main navigation menus at the top or left where users expect them.
- Using hover states on buttons to provide feedback.
- Incorporating recognizable icons, like shopping carts for ecommerce.
- Positioning your logo at the top left or center, linking back to the homepage.
- Using standardized layouts for common pages like help or contact pages.
- Displaying a prominent phone number at the top and bottom, with clickable links for mobile users.
- Designing industry-standard page layouts to meet user expectations.
Example: Macy’s employs a grid layout showcasing product categories, aligning with ecommerce norms.
3. Navigability
A well-organized website ensures users find information quickly and easily, which is vital for conversions.
Best practices for navigation:
- Use descriptive, simple menu labels like About, Services, Contact.
- Incorporate a search bar accessible from all pages.
- Include a footer with navigation links to avoid excessive scrolling.
- Use breadcrumbs to help users retrace their steps.
- Embed links within content using clear anchor text.
- Make pricing information prominent to prevent unnecessary contact inquiries.
Pro tip: During testing, employ tools like Session Replay and Heatmaps to visualize user navigation patterns and identify pain points.
4. Information Hierarchy
Arrange your website elements so visitors naturally focus on the most important information first, guiding them toward desired actions.
Effective techniques:
- Use size, color, and placement to highlight key elements.
- For example, Spotify’s Premium page uses a large, attention-grabbing headline followed by benefits and a clear call-to-action (CTA).
5. Readability
A website that’s easy to read enhances user satisfaction and encourages loyalty.
Enhancement tips:
- Use consistent fonts across the site.
- Opt for clear, legible fonts like Inter in at least 12pt.
- Limit to 2-3 font sizes for cohesion.
- Differentiate content types with font styles.
- Break text into short paragraphs and use bullet points for easy scanning.
- Ensure high contrast between text and background.
- Leave ample white space around content for an uncluttered look.
Example: Uber employs generous white space, making content straightforward and easy to digest.
6. Branding Consistency
Consistent branding fosters recognition and trust. Ensure your visual elements reflect your industry and personality.
Tips:
- Use a cohesive color palette—limit to three main colors.
- Maintain a uniform style across all pages.
- Select colors that evoke the desired emotional response.
- For example, BuzzFeed’s bright yellow and red grab attention and evoke excitement.
7. Visual Elements
Strong visuals capture attention and support content, helping users envision using your products.
Best practices:
- Use high-quality, authentic images relevant to your business.
- Make images responsive and optimized for fast loading.
- Incorporate subtle animations where appropriate, but keep file sizes small.
- Update seasonal visuals to reflect current offerings.
Example: Homebase rotates images seasonally to stay relevant.
8. Calls to Action (CTAs)
Your website’s success hinges on guiding users toward desired actions.
Effective CTAs:
- Make them prominent with sufficient white space.
- Place relevant CTAs on every page—not just the homepage.
- Use consistent language and design for similar actions.
- Test different placements and styles with tools like heatmaps.
Example: HubSpot’s large, bright orange buttons stand out clearly.
9. Mobile Responsiveness
With over 62% of traffic coming from mobile devices, your site must perform well across all screens.
Final tips:
- Keep menus simple; include a search function.
- Use large, tappable buttons.
- Prioritize fast load speeds with a clean design.
- Test across multiple browsers and devices.
SEO benefit: Google’s mobile-first indexing means mobile-friendly sites rank higher.
10. Accessibility
Design your site to be usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.
Best practices:
- Prioritize color contrast.
- Avoid relying solely on color cues.
- Use accessible resources like W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative guidelines.
- Gather user feedback to improve accessibility features.
Example: Patagonia’s website uses clear fonts and high-contrast elements for readability.
11. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Ranking high in search results increases visibility and traffic.
Key tactics:
- Produce valuable, keyword-rich content.
- Link internally to related pages.
- Use structured headings and a sitemap.
- Obtain backlinks from reputable sources.
- Add descriptive alt text to images.
12. Security
Protect your users and build trust with robust security measures.
Recommendations:
- Host your site on secure servers with firewalls and encryption.
- Use SSL certificates.
- Limit login attempts and enforce strong passwords.
- Implement two-factor authentication where applicable.
Example: Contentsquare emphasizes user privacy and secure data handling.
13. Continuous Testing and Improvement
Regular testing is vital to maintain and enhance your website.
Strategies:
- Start testing early in the design process.
- Conduct ongoing tests post-launch, especially after updates.
- Use tools like A/B testing, surveys, and feedback widgets to gather insights.
- Analyze user behavior with session replays and heatmaps to identify issues.
Pro tip: For more on how to approach this process, explore what are the seven stages of designing a website.
Continuous Customer-Centered Design
While web design trends evolve, a user-focused approach remains timeless. Implementing these best practices ensures a positive UX, helping users achieve their goals effortlessly. Keep users at the core of every stage—planning, designing, and iterating—and they will reward you with loyalty and increased revenue.