How Local Website Design & Architecture Can Improve User Experience

Every business, no matter how big or small, can benefit from having a robust online presence and a great site. Depending on the size of the company and the type of industry, the formula for local website design will vary. But in this seemingly endless world wide web, it can be hard to figure out how to move forward. And that’s precisely Bright Vessel’s specialty!

There’s one thing that should always be on your mind before tackling local website design: Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You probably know a little about this one! The key to being relevant online, SEO focuses on increasing relevant traffic to the website. Through a series of SEO practices, your brand can reach the top search engine results of a relevant keyword. In turn, this practice will bring the right traffic to the site.

Once you’re aware of SEO as a basis for building a website, there are three concepts you need to understand:

• Website Design. Website design comprises visual keys from the layout to the logo, and it’s the way a site presents itself to users. It can include a myriad of details, and should always focus on reflecting the brand in the most useful way possible.
• Website Architecture. Much like with brick-and-mortar architecture, this concept relates to its construction. Websites with great architecture are intuitive in link-building, so users can navigate smoothly and without getting lost.
• User Experience. This concept relates to the level of ease and comfort a visitor has when visiting a website. Good user experience should be fast, pleasant, easy-to-use and functional.

These three factors can make or break a website, working together to ensure visitors stay and engage, leading to revenue for the business.

7 Fundamental Rules to Local Website Design

Here’s the thing about local website design: there’s no all-encompassing formula. While the ultimate goal in any business is revenue, the strategy to achieve that should be different in each case. A mom-and-pop store can’t have the SEO approach of a large regional brand, and you can’t market a restaurant in the same way as a factory.

The first thing you need to figure out is how to tackle an online presence. Once that’s done, here are some rules local website design should always follow:

• The website should run smoothly on desktop and mobile. People are browsing from smartphones and tablets more and more each year. Any website that doesn’t work well on mobile could be losing customers. Besides, since 2016, Google has indexed mobile sites first, so it’s also an excellent SEO practice. Make sure to use the Google Mobile-Friendly Test Tool to smooth anything out.
• A site shouldn’t have any technical issues. While keeping a site error-free might seem obvious, but it’s easy to let errors pass without notice. Good design should be easy to navigate for users and search engines, allowing indexing and ranking.
• Local website design should guide visitors towards taking action. If you’re running an eCommerce site, your layout should make it easier for visitors to make a purchase.
• Great design should be simple and distraction-free. Don’t clutter a website with too much information. Don’t overstimulate users with videos and popups that serve no actual purpose and can only confuse them.
• A website should look up-to-date. When browsing, few things generate more distrust than a site that seems to be out of date. An outmoded design can be a deterrent for visitors to stay too long, as they may fear it’s unsafe.
• The website layout should be in tune with the branding. It’s essential to maintain an all-encompassing image online and off. That goes from using the same color palette as the logo and other signage to keeping the same type of language on the copy.
• The website’s design should be in tune with its industry and location. You should know what customers are like and what they crave for, and present yourself in a way that speaks to them. As previously noted, each industry and location will have its nuisances, and it’s critical to be aware of them. We recommend creating customer personasto get to know customers better.

Click here to read the rest of the article.