Introduction
As with most things, learning how to design a website requires a certain amount of study, determination, and a lot of motivation, which is always required when learning something new. It may seem rather intimidating if it’s your first time designing a website.
This article will assist you in understanding how to design a website. We’ll go over the detailed instructions, fundamental web design concepts, and a few examples to assist you come up with original ideas, whether your goal is to sell online or create a digital portfolio.
How to design a website?
1. Make a website plan
Determine the initial motivation for your website creation before you begin. The final objectives of your website will be in line with every design choice thanks to this procedure.
When it comes to an online shop, the layout of the website should reflect your brand and make it easier for visitors to do anything from discovering products to finishing purchases.
The design of a portfolio website should be complementary to the work of the person publishing it.
The following guiding questions can assist you in determining the purpose of your website:
- Who is the intended user of your website?
- What are the primary objectives of your company’s content strategy? Is it for product sales, visitor entertainment, or subject education?
- When a visitor opens a website, what steps should they take? These can include looking through your products, purchasing anything, reading articles, or subscribing to your newsletter.
- Which tone and voice do you wish to employ when speaking with guests? Are you trying to sound more casual, professional, or something in between?
Don’t forget these notes; they will be useful when you develop your website.
Once your goals have been established, find some excellent web design samples to assist you envision the appearance of your future website. Additionally, make sure you adhere to web design best practices, including those related to branding & navigation.
With its extensive collection of award-winning website designs, Awwwards is a great place to find inspiration. Utilize the filtering tools to customize the search findings to your requirements.
Examining the websites of your competitors may additionally offer ideas about what customers should anticipate from a website similar to yours. If you are unsure of your competitors, sites such as SimilarWeb can assist you in identifying them.
Finally, think about researching the most recent developments in web design. By incorporating the most recent style aspects, the website can appear contemporary and modern. Make sure, however, that you only incorporate trends into your website if they’re making sense. Conducting research on how to design a website that is in line with modern aesthetics can make your website unique.
2. Pick the appropriate website platform
A platform that fits your purpose, budget, and skill level is ideal. It is an important step in figuring out how to design a website.
The CMS (content management system) WordPress is one well-known website platform. Large eCommerce storefronts, online directories, and digital resumes are just a few of the many types of websites that WordPress is excellent for building. Content developers also favor it because of its extensive blogging options.
Purchasing a website hosting plan is necessary in order to use WordPress. Invest in a basic web hosting package, which should be adequate for a small business or personal website.
The price of a web hosting package ranges from $2.49 to $7.59 per month. A free lifelong SSL certificate, an uptime guarantee of 99.9%, and frequent file backups are included with most subscriptions.
We offer live chat support around the clock if you need assistance setting up your user account or selecting the best hosting plan.
Just a few of the many wonderful advantages of WordPress use are as follows:
- Easy to use. Regardless of experience level, WordPress’ menu design is easy to use for both novice and expert website developers.
- Very adaptable. The vast array of plugins available for WordPress makes it possible to add unique functions. One tool that takes advantage of this flexibility is Divi. With its user-friendly visual interface, Divi, a theme and page builder, enables users to create distinctive websites.
- Scalable. Because consumers are in complete control of their web hosting selection, they can change their plan at any time if the WordPress website requires additional resources.
- Cost-effective. WordPress is free, as are many of its additional plugins and themes, with the exception of site hosting.
One drawback of WordPress is its high learning curve. To improve the look and feel of your website, understand the fundamentals of coding, particularly CSS and HTML, before utilizing the CMS.
Be mindful to become acquainted with hosting upkeep as well. In this manner, your WordPress website will consistently offer the highest performance and the most robust security features.
A far more approachable option for beginners is to look at a website or page builder. With this website design tool, you may change and customize the page without ever leaving it thanks to its drag-and-drop tool.
You can only create one kind of website, even though it’s a little easier than utilizing a CMS. A blog, eCommerce store, online portfolio, and business website may all be created fast.
The following are just a few benefits of utilizing a Website Builder:
- Most web hosting packages include it, so you can create and manage a website from just one control panel.
- Free AI resources. These features include heatmap, copy, and logo generators.
- Integrated SEO tools. Installing an SEO add-on is not required, in contrast to WordPress. Editing picture alt text, changing the URL, and adding metadata for the results pages of search engines are all possible.
- All-in-one features for an online store. Discount applications, inventory management, order tracking, and a variety of online payment methods are all free of charge. Commission fees are also nonexistent.
You must purchase a domain name after deciding on a website creation platform. Consider it as the URL that users will enter into their browsers in order to access a website. If you require assistance, we offer a separate guide that explains how to get a domain name.
Your choice of domain name is based on the goal of your website. Most often, the domain is a person’s or company’s name.
But these names are likely to be taken, particularly if they contain words that are often used. If that’s the case, you might want to use a domain name generator.
Remember to pick an appropriate domain name extension. As is typical for business websites, choosing the.com TLD is generally a smart move. The starting price is $8.99 per year.
Choose a top-level domain with a country code to target a particular market. Buying a.us domain, for instance, is a smart move if your company is based in the US.
Additionally, there are extensions for domain names designed for particular kinds of websites. For example, online businesses frequently use .shop names, while tech-related ventures are best served by .tech domains.
3. Personalize the website’s design
This is a crucial step in the whole process of how to design a website. Review your responses from the first stage before choosing the general features of your website, as this will assist you in creating the visual identity of your site.
You should also consider building your brand. This procedure includes:
- Selecting a theme or template for site design
- Choosing the color scheme for the website
- Making a logo
- Selecting appropriate typographic options
A theme comprises a collection of graphic components and a ready-made layout that has been arranged and produced by an online designer. It makes it easier for non-technical individuals to construct and develop websites. To put it another way, they are not burdened with creating the website from the ground up. Thousands of themes are available for free download from a dedicated directory for users of WordPress.
Don’t forget that the theme affects the customization choices for your website.
In WordPress’ Twenty Twenty-One, for example, you can alter the backdrop color and picture, though there are not any built-in font-changing features. Nevertheless, this can be accomplished by using custom CSS code.
However, you can use Astra’s premium design to alter the layout, button forms, font family, and colors it uses.
Next, let’s discuss the color palette of your website. Select the primary color that best embodies your brand, whether it be personal or professional.
When selecting a dominant hue, color psychology—which studies the meanings of different colors and the feelings they may arouse in viewers—is a great tool.
A synopsis of the meanings of the primary colors is provided below:
- Red can stand for power, passion, or hunger. This color is used by well-known companies like Coca-Cola, Target, and Netflix.
- Orange is a color that represents warning or friendliness. This color appears in the Amazon logo.
- Often used to attract attention, yellow is associated with youth and clarity. This color is used extensively in Shell’s branding.
- Green is frequently linked to nature, wealth, and health. Popular brands that use this color include Whole Foods, Starbucks, and Spotify.
- Blue represents safety and confidence. Many tech companies, like Microsoft and Facebook, choose it.
- The color purple symbolizes beauty, knowledge, and grandeur. This color can be seen in candy-based brands such as Milka and Cadbury.
Once your primary color has been chosen, choose a few complementary colors.
There is no set amount of secondary colors that you should employ. However, in order to maintain the dominating hue as the predominant one, it is advisable to include between two and three.
To keep the text and backdrop readable, it’s also a good idea to use a neutral hue.
A great illustration of a well-chosen color scheme may be seen on the Ritual website.
Only three colors are used, with yellow serving as the brand’s primary color. The darker blue is utilized for buttons and copy, while the white background separates the visual elements. A design that is both eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing is the outcome of this mix.
Anyone interested in designing a website with color can take inspiration from Nippon Television Art.
By using a black font, the website seeks to express the brand’s unique edge while yet being incredibly readable.
Try using tools such as Paletton or Coolors to help choose aesthetically pleasing palettes for sites of all kinds.
Let’s get on to logos now.
A logo ought to embody the company’s essential principles, goods, and offerings. As a result, logo design and website branding are complementary.
You can try artificial intelligence logo generators to help you create a logo more quickly.
Let’s wrap up by discussing typography in website design.
Canva claims that there are three main categories of fonts:
- Serif: Two examples are Cambria and Times New Roman. The tips of these font end strokes signify formality and power. For this reason, they are more popular among government, law, and financial institutions.
- Sans serif: This font style is also commonly known by the names, ‘Helvetica & Arial. There are no endings and the strokes are uniformly wide. It is particularly popular amongst tech and startup businesses because it conveys modernity to decision-making in those organizations.
- Handwritten script in cursive form. This family of fonts tends to symbolize elegance or creativity. Although it is a versatile tool, fashion, culinary and beverage firms commonly incorporate it.
You shouldn’t be scared to use two or three different fonts on one page. One is typically utilized to convey the main points of the brand in the headlines. The remainder, however, ought to be devoted to the titles, body paragraphs, and supplementary details.
A wonderful instance of this kind of technique is the Great Jones site. Cooper Black is used for the headlines and logo, and Hope Sans is used for quotes, links, and sub-headlines.
You may employ a single font type and still have some visual interest by changing up its size & style. To demonstrate this, let’s examine the website for Black Triangle Film.
The headlines are much larger than other parts due to the site’s striking style, even if it just employs Bebas Neue. Additionally, its buttons for immediate action are all capitalized, which makes them immediately noticeable.
4. Configure the required pages
Understanding how to design a website involves creating essential pages. The following pages should typically be included in a website:
- Homepage
- Service or product page
- About page
- Blog page
- Contact page
In the administration panel, select Pages → New to build a web page in WordPress. This is how using the Gutenberg editor will display the interface.
If you want to add more blocks to your website’s pages, feel free to do so.
By selecting a blank or pre-built layout, you can add a new page or update an existing one.
We should now examine the appearance and feel of each web page.
A. Homepage
The first page visitors see is usually the homepage. As a result, it must explain the purpose and content of the website. In order to encourage the website visitor to browse the remainder of the site, it should also make a good first impression.
Emphasizing the distinctive selling point is a smart way to build the homepage. Consider it a communication outlining the distinctive features of your company. New businesses or up-and-coming brands in a cutthroat industry will find this idea useful.
To grab your site visitor’s attention right away, include a call-to-action tab and a large header at the very top of the page. A great example of this practice is the design of the Creativity Lab website.
Online store owners are able to showcase a hero shot. This image or video illustrates the applications and advantages of your goods or services. The audience may be encouraged to browse the website and learn more about its offerings by including such images on the homepage.
B. About Page
For more detailed information about the individual or company that created the website, visit the About page. It’s a fantastic platform for sharing your business identity, values, and story while also building stronger relationships with those who matter.
For instance, Solidu Cosmetics’ Our Story website includes an introduction video, the team picture, the business’s history, and the USP of the brand.
Furthermore, it’s a great idea to include social evidence in your About page to further establish your credibility. This is accomplished by PooPrints by showcasing customer reviews on its home page.
C. The Contact page
This page outlines the proper way for site visitors to contact you. A live map showing the organization’s location, social media pages, email address, and office phone number are typically included.
Think about including a contact form so users may send a query without ever leaving the website. Installing a contact form widget for WordPress makes it very simple.
The form will either send each query input to your company email address or store it in the database of the website platform, depending on the options you choose.
As an example, let’s examine Yummy Gum’s contact form. You can fill out a project query form on the website by providing your name, email address, and project objectives.
Zendesk is another excellent illustration. Two methods of contact are listed on the page, along with details to help users choose the one that best suits their needs.
You can use the form to speak with a salesperson about buying a product by hitting the Contact Sales tab. Existing clients will benefit more from the second button, which will take them to the support center.
Here are a few pointers for making a contact page:
- Include a section for frequently asked questions. If you receive several inquiries regarding the same subject, this is beneficial.
- Just the most important form fields should be included. You must include your first name, mailing address, and SMS message in your inquiry. It may take more time to ask for further information.
- Give choices for topics. This will make organizing your inquiry submissions simple.
- Concise instructions should be included beneath the form field title. Users will then know how to accurately fill out the information.
D. Blog Page
Only content producers and companies that employ blogging as an online marketing tactic are covered by this page.
In the opposite chronological sequence, featured blog entries and excerpts from the blog posts usually make up this kind of page. An excellent illustration of this arrangement is the blog page for Climbing Van.
The content is shown on the left side of the blog post’s page, with the blogger’s credentials and a few call-to-action icons. To facilitate reader navigation, it also includes an overview of the contents.
Many blog websites, like Amor Pela Comida, display the article excerpts as clickable cards using a gallery-based or grid structure.
Blogs that have hundreds of articles may find this format more helpful. Readers can sample several articles at once and choose the one that interests them rather than going through each one individually.
Additionally, think about incorporating films and pictures that divide up your content. They are not only visually appealing, but they also boost the interaction of your blog content.
For users who manage an eCommerce or company website, this page is essential. In this group, there are two kinds of pages:
- Catalog page. Businesses that sell several goods or services usually use it. It shows a list of the things you sell.
- One page of items. Provides more information about each specific product or service.
The appearance of these web pages is determined by your products or services, thus it is best to look at your competitors for inspiration.
Having stated that the following general advice can be used:
- Provide a way for sorting and filtering if there are several items. This facilitates considerably faster product or service searches for site users.
- Display several images for a presentation. When shopping online, 75% of consumers rely on images. Including a range of product photos taken from multiple perspectives increases sales and fosters confidence.
- Think of utilizing a video. Use top-notch videos to provide prospective buyers with a 360-degree look at your products.
- Compose an engaging description of your product or service. To increase the copy’s persuasiveness, make sure to address how it might alleviate the problems of your target clients.
- Present some social evidence. Customers’ expectations for the product or service may be positively influenced in addition to increasing trustworthiness.
A great website to check out if you need recommendations for product pages is Kvietkos. The catalog page features a sorting and filtering feature to help you focus on products based on price and style.
Visit Ester’s website for service-oriented businesses. Real-world examples on its Services page give the business a trustworthy and dependable appearance.
A projected project workflow is also provided to prospective customers to assist them in envisioning what to anticipate from their collaboration with the firm.
The conversion rate of a website is also increased by well-designed calls to action.
CTAs are purposeful prompts that urge users to do particular actions that support the objectives of the website. These include making a purchase, sharing material on social media, launching a free trial, or subscribing to a newsletter.
Usually, buttons and hyperlinks with attention-grabbing, action-oriented wording are used to display CTAs. They are quite important in helping users navigate the website.
A great example of a CTA is provided by Axiology.
The vegan lipstick brand utilizes “Take the One Minute Quiz” in place of “Take a Quiz.” This call to action helps lessen decision fatigue and offers unambiguous guidance.
Websites can successfully engage visitors, encourage conversions, and accomplish their goals by incorporating well-designed calls to action.
5. Consider the user experience when optimizing
Enhancing the UX (user experience) of the website is the next phase. Here are some crucial aspects of a website to think about.
A. Navigation
A straightforward navigation system enables users to browse the content on your website. They can locate what they’re searching for much more easily with this approach, which could increase the conversion rate of your website.
Each of the pages should be accessible with just a few clicks if you use the flat website layout, which is a straightforward method of navigating a website design. Visitors don’t need to open a lot of pages to get to where they want to go as a result.
Using a suitable menu design is the second technique. For example, websites with a lot of material could gain more from a big menu, which shows a long list of navigation alternatives.
One option for websites with less information is the horizontal bar. Only the most pertinent navigation options are shown on the horizontal bar, as opposed to a mega menu. Links to the remaining pages will be accessible from the footer.
A great example of this is the website for La Petit Alice.
Remember to include a search box so that users may locate the stuff they’re looking for more quickly. Think about putting in place some sort of filter to reduce the number of responses.
B. Visual Hierarchy
Visual hierarchy in website design refers to how the page’s components are arranged strategically. To help customers better grasp the offer and take the appropriate action, it tries to draw their attention to the most important details.
A layout that is chosen depending on a user’s reading habits is one method to apply this strategy.
The Z-shape style is one well-known illustration. This design accommodates users’ propensity to skim text from the upper left to the upper right side of the page before moving laterally to the items beneath it.
The text & image placements in this format frequently alternate in a zigzag fashion, similar to the Biennial website.
Long texts can be better organized and read with the help of this website layout. It’s used in many website designs to include several calls to action without being overbearing to the visitor.
Don’t forget to leave white space between the layout’s elements.
It makes it simpler for readers to decide which content to concentrate on, in addition to giving the page a sense of harmony and order. If not, the website may appear disorganized and amateurish.
C. Page speed
A key component of the user experience is the speed at which a website loads. According to a number of publications, a website that loads slowly may have a high rate of bounces, fewer click-throughs, and a lesser probability of ranking well in major search results.
A website’s loading time can be greatly impacted by the size of its parts. For example, a photograph larger than 1 MB will probably slow down the page. Google advises that the maximum size for each page of a website should be 500 KB.
Here’s how to increase the speed at which pages load from the design perspective.
Improve the quality of your media files. To make the file smaller, use compression software.
Choose the lossless approach when streamlining web design to avoid sacrificing image quality.
Design something simple. That is, just include the things that are absolutely essential to the website.
Reduce the files on the website if you can. Eliminate superfluous lines, empty spaces, and non-functional characters from the code since they add too much weight. Users of WordPress have two options: utilize a plugin or manually minimize HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
D. Accessibility
When websites and web pages are designed and developed with the same access for individuals with impairments in mind, this is referred to as accessibility.
Eliminating obstacles that can keep individuals with physical disabilities from engaging with or accessing internet material is the aim.
Consult the WCAG before making a website easier to access. A website’s ability to accommodate all users is determined by these online content accessibility principles.
Here are some strategies to increase the accessibility of websites:
For images, add alt text. In addition to being excellent for search engine optimization, they are useful for programs that convert web material into voice and braille for the blind and visually challenged.
Be mindful of keyboard accessibility. It can be challenging for certain people with impairments to navigate using a mouse and trackpad. Make sure that every interactive component on the website, including forms, links, and CTA buttons, can be used using the TAB key.
Make use of readable and relevant URLs. A link’s anchor text should include sufficient information regarding the page.
Remedial accessibility tools should be used. These technologies are capable of offering every feature required to make a website more accessible to users with physical disabilities. For instance, EqualWeb’s service is used by the fashion business ZARA.
6. Adapt your site to hand-held devices
Half of the web’s traffic comes from mobile devices, hence it is imperative to implement a mobile-first design principle. Ignoring this element could lose you a significant number of potential visitors.
Furthermore, according to Google, mobile friendliness is a must for ranking in their search engine results pages.
You’re headed in the correct direction if you adopt responsive design. Other strategies to improve the mobile-friendliness of your website design are listed below:
- For viewing on tablets and smartphones, utilize a hamburger menu. This type of menu design conserves more space on the screen by concealing all of the links beneath a three-line button that is often located in the upper left corner of the page.
- CTAs should be touch-friendly. It should be possible to tap the button with your finger. Additionally, a considerable amount of space should be left between buttons to avoid user error.
- Adjust for scrolling. A back-to-top option, a scroll-triggered impact, or a sticky bar for navigation are examples of useful features.
7. Test and launch your website
Look for any design flaws that can impair the user experience of your website before launching it. We advise performing usability testing on websites.
Asking friends, relatives, or coworkers for feedback is a simple method; arrange a video conference and have everyone share their screen while they browse the website and offer comments on its features and visual layout.
As an alternative, run A/B tests. In order to test a website’s usability, a designer makes two versions of the site and distributes them to various user groups. Upon completion of the study, a website developer can evaluate the two versions to determine which one works better.
This method may offer greater statistical insight into what functions well and what does not. To make it easier to identify the component influencing the result, test each design element separately.
It is also an excellent idea to come up with a heatmap. This program can detect the segment of the parts, or components, to which consumers will pay the most attention. That can help to place the online information most efficiently to increase conversions.
8. Monitor and modify your website continually
One of the best tools utilized in this process is Google Analytics. Among the many website performance metrics it provides are:
- Page views: How many pages a given visitor explores once he/she has reached the website is shown.
- Average length of a session: This measure shows how much time was spent on one particular website after the first visit. It is advisable to aim at two to three-minute videos in general.
- Conversion rate: What percentage of your audience attends your website and performs your preferred action, be it purchasing a product or signing up for your newsletter.
- Bounce rate: Number of visitors who abandon a website without doing anything. A non-eCommerce website should have between 35 and 60 percent of visits, but an online store should have 20 to 45 percent.
- Sources of traffic: A website can be accessed by email, social media, search engines, online advertisements, or referring websites. Finding the best marketing channels to drive high-quality visitors to your website can be aided by knowing this.
- Demographics of the audience: Discloses the age, gender, and interests of website users. A more focused marketing strategy can be created with the aid of such data.
- All you need to get started with Google Analytics is your Google Account, and it is completely free. WordPress users have the option of using a plugin to link the tool to the website or manually adding the tracking ID to the functions.php directory.
- GA integration is a default feature of certain website builders. Users can enable this program without modifying the website’s code.
What resources are available to enhance the design of your website?
The first time you are creating a website whether for business or personal use, you may lack the capital to hire a web developer or buy web design services.
Thankfully, you can make this process easier and improve the overall look of your website by using these web design tools:
- Bundles of illustrations or icons. They work wonders to improve the visual attractiveness of any website. For different industrial areas, DrawKit & Ouch offer a number of free options.
- Stock images. Pick pictures with people’s faces because, when used properly, they foster trust. A great site to find similar photographs for free is Unsplash. Be sure to choose only high-quality photos.
- Plugin for page builders. This application is intended for those using WordPress who wish to integrate a drag-and-drop website builder into the content management system. Elementor & Beaver Builder are two well-known examples.
- Logo maker. If you are still working on a branding plan for your company, take a look at this tool. In only a few minutes, online logo creators can produce a logo that looks professional.
- Canva. For creating featured pictures and banners for websites, this freemium design program is great. Additionally, it’s excellent for unforeseen photo editing and content for social media marketing.
Conclusion
Mastering how to design a website requires a balance of creativity and strategy. The main goals of a well-designed website should be readability, speed optimization, aesthetic coherence, user-friendliness, and ordered structure. As a result, it has a big impact on a site’s success.
Here is a quick summary of website design:
- Create a website layout. You will have to dream about your design and set your goals.
- Select the most appropriate platform. Site builders and content management systems are two well-liked choices. For a more approachable answer, go with option number two.
- Customize the design. Think of the logo, font, color palette, and theme.
- Install the necessary web pages. Complete installation for the essential web pages. These ought to include the blog, the contact form, the About Us section, the home page, and the product or service pages.
- Target for user experience optimization. Plan your website’s accessibility, page speed, visual hierarchy, and navigation carefully.
- Adapt your website to different screen sizes. Not only does responsiveness enhance the mobile user experience, but it also plays a significant role in Google ranking.
- Test your website and make it live. Before posting, make sure there are no design flaws on your website.
- Carry out routine tracking. The best possible website performance is ensured by this procedure.
We hope you found this post useful. Feel free to contact us using the comments section below if you have additional questions.
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Amit2025-04-28 14:15:342025-04-28 14:15:35How to Sell Books Online: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners and Entrepreneurs
