Founders Night - Website Critiques: What Makes a Good Website?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Building a website can be frustrating, to say the least. Regardless of the reasoning behind the website, attracting visitors, user accessibility, and getting your message across are common goals for many website design creators. But what makes a good website?Kelly Trace from Reach and Reyna Perez from Yac reviewed websites in an hour-long Virtual Founders Night segment discussing formats, colors, fonts, picture quality, and much more, giving feedback to those who submitted websites. Here is a recap of their insights on Websites 101.

Mechanics

The small mechanics of your website can make all the difference. Purpose and clarity are initial components you should look for right off the bat on your home page. It shouldn’t take long to analyze what the main goals of a website are within the first few seconds on the page.Here are some other useful tips to consider while creating a clear purpose for your site:

• Font sizes

Changing font sizes to larger or smaller based off of the frame of the page can make a more appealing look.

• Grammar

Ensuring correct grammar for every piece of content on the page is crucial if you want your site to be taken seriously.

• Consistent tone

Keeping a consistent tone with your writing makes your audience feel you are credible in your field and, in turn, makes them more likely to purchase or subscribe to your page.

• Colors and theme

Keeping colors to a theme allows users to be more inclined to stay focused on your site for a longer period of time. Remember, a simple website is easier to look at.

• Clean lines

Clean lines keep pictures in a formatted style that is appropriately sized.

• WPO

Website performance optimization increases the overall performance for user experience on the site, for example, having quick load times increases viewer satisfaction.

• Mobile-friendly website

Many viewers will view your site on their mobile devices, so mobile-friendliness can help you reach a wider audience. Also ensuring the site is ADA compliant for those with disabilities provides equal opportunities to view your site.

• Custom domain

A custom domain will help your brand and identify your website. Simple tips and tricks like these can make all the difference when creating an effective website.

SEO

Search Engine Optimization is the act of increasing the quality and quantity of your organic search engine results. Learning how to use SEO can help you build a search engine-friendly site. Some ways to achieve this are by using an appropriate domain name along with internal links, therefore reaching more prospects. Your website is more visible when you use SEO; more traffic to your site based on keywords you are focused on allows the prospects that reach your site to turn into customers.

Big Takeaways

The web design process can be a challenge, but here are some last-minute takeaways for those who may not be as experienced in web design to be able to get their start.

• Create a goal for your site

Having a goal will keep priorities set throughout the design process.

• Take time to plan

Draw out with paper and pencil what you want the layout of the site to be, ensuring you utilize your time wisely.

• Make a navigation menu that will fit all on one line

Easy navigation makes the site more user-friendly and accessible to many people.

• Fill in your SEO settings

Good SEO will boost your chances to reach more customers. These basic guidelines can help you make a more effective website by generating traffic that will strengthen your online presence. To watch our full Virtual Founders Night with Kelly and Reyna, click here.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][mkdf_button text="WATCH NOW!" target="_self" icon_pack="font_elegant" fe_icon="arrow_carrot-2right" font_weight="" text_transform="" color="#ffffff" hover_color="#f89520" background_color="#f89520" hover_background_color="#ffffff" border_color="#f89520" link="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=550210658946593"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][/vc_row]