Creating an effective website is like renovating a home - you need the right structural elements in place to support the overall design, but flexibility to customize the decor and layout based on your unique needs and style.
When building a house, you begin with the foundation and load-bearing walls that establish the underlying structure. For a website, this means choosing the right platform and core templates to build upon.
Just like you wouldn't start renovating by ripping down walls in an old home, you shouldn't immediately override all the default styles of your website platform. The base templates provide a solid framework optimized for usability and conversion.
Here are some of the most popular and flexible website platforms on the market right now:
Choosing the platform that aligns with your budget, timeline, and capabilities will establish the core structure to then customize.
Within the framework of your selected platform and theme, you still have key structural decisions to make. Just like load-bearing walls, your website layout and navigation establish critical user flows.
Some key elements to define:
Sketching some quick wireframes and thinking through typical user journeys helps inform these structural choices. Listen to your designer or developer's advice as well - they have the experience to know which layouts and navigation patterns tend to convert best.
Within each page, you also want to establish the core set of sections - like having a living room, kitchen, and bedrooms in a house layout. Certain sections like a hero banner, services overview, about section, and contact form are proven to engage visitors and aid conversions.
You may not need every standard section on every page - not every room in a house gets used daily. But mapping out the typical sections provides helpful guidance when creating page-specific layouts.
Once you have the underlying website structure in place, it's time for the fun part - making it your own with colors, typography, imagery, and custom elements.
Painting walls, installing backsplashes, upgrading light fixtures, and decorating with furnishings and accents makes a house feel like a home. Similarly, applying your unique branding and style makes a website design personally yours.
Color choice has an enormous impact on the feel of a space. Whether soft and muted or bold and vibrant, your color palette sets the tone.
When designing a website, stick to a maximum of 2-3 accent colors that align with your brand style. Too many colors fight for attention. Limit your palette and then use accent colors strategically to highlight key calls-to-action.
Beyond color, typography also greatly affects the style and tone of a website. Like finding an architectural font for a luxury brand or playful handwritten scripts for a children's site, choose font styles and pairings that reinforce your personality.
Effective font combinations often include:
Don't overlook details like spacing, sizes, and weights - this is your chance to perfect a custom typographic style.
Carefully selected photos, illustrations, icons, and visuals tell a story and transport visitors into your world. Treat images like art on the walls - not too sparse but not cluttered either.
Images showing real people, expressions, and environments are especially powerful. Beyond stock photos, gather user-generated content and real-life snapshots to better connect with your audience.
With the rise of video, don't overlook the power of cinemagraphs and background videos to dramatically set a scene.
Beyond the core foundations, designers use accents and decor details to create little moments of surprise and delight. A textured throw pillow, fresh flowers, or perfectly placed accessory completes the look.
On websites, microinteractions, hover animations, illustrated icons, and video or animation accents serve a similar purpose. They reflect your brand’s personality while rewarding engaged visitors.
For example, if a play button pops up when hovering over a portfolio piece, it feels inviting. Accents like these make a website feel alive.
Ultimately, designing a custom website is all about striking the perfect balance - having a solid structure and hooks for branding without limiting flexibility or over-designing.
Like a beautifully renovated home, your website should have clean lines, purposeful design choices, and plenty of open space. Let the natural light shine in!
With the right structural elements in place and personalized accents layered thoughtfully on top, you can achieve a website design that expertly blends form and function.
The result is a site that aesthetically aligns with your brand while seamlessly guiding visitors down conversion paths. Both beauty and performance in one package.
Does your current website nail this balance, or could it benefit from a renovation? Reach out anytime to explore refreshing your site design and structure while preserving and enhancing your unique brand spirit.
I'm always happy to provide honest feedback and recommendations tailored specifically to your business goals, industry, and target audience.
Copyright © Zach Sean Web Design
