A few tips on keeping your website readers’ attention
There is a lot involved with the web design process. The rule of thumb when starting a web design project is that simplicity is always best. It can make your website easier to navigate and read; too complicated a design can hurt your readers’ eyes and makes it less likely that they’ll ever return to your website.
If you’re interested in web design, there are five essential starting points to simplify your web design so that it appeals to your readers.
The 80-20 rule
Determine the essential elements of your website, and focus only on these elements. It’s easy to fall into the trend of loving every element of our website and wanting to bring all of them to light. However, this can result in the design of your site is bogged down with everything being made to look important. One of the most important rules for focusing on the right elements is using the 80-20 rule: 20 per cent of the site’s elements should deliver 80 per cent of the overall usefulness of the site.
Eliminate unnecessary elements
Eliminate the unnecessary elements. As stated above, by using the 80-20 rule, you can easily figure out the essential elements that you really need in your website design, and the rest is simply cluttered. Don’t give your readers a chance to move away from your webpage to do something else.
Be concise
Reduce the number of pages on your website. By having fewer places for your readers to explore, they won’t get bogged down with information and lost in the realms of your website. Either cut out the pages you don’t need or fuse multiple pages together that have similar content. Having too many options can make it confusing for your reader as to where they should start, and can become easily overwhelmed.
Above the fold
Get as much of your content above the fold as you can. ‘Above the fold’ is what shows up on readers’ screens without scrolling down. You want the majority of the most engaging information to be at the top of your page so that readers are even more interested to see the rest of the information on your website. You can also get more information above the fold by reducing the size of headers and logos that show up at the top of your site.
Colour scheme
Limit your colour scheme. When in doubt, use fewer colours. Even a simple black-and-white webpage is much more attractive to read than a site that has twelve to thirteen colours in use. It hurts the eyes and can cause distractions, and your readers are far more likely to divert themselves from your website in order to save their eyes from hurting. Using shades of the same colour is always a good colour scheme to go with.
