What Makes a Good Website?

Beyond the Billion: What Makes a Website Truly Good in NZ?

As of today, there are well over one billion websites online, according to sources like Internet Live Stats. In the space of just a few seconds, that number likely jumped by dozens. The rate of website growth is pretty amazing. However, the number of websites that are actually useful are relatively few – it’s estimated that around 75% of these sites aren’t even active. With so many inactive websites out there and others being digital “ghost towns,” how can you design something that’s both useful and appealing? Ultimately, what makes a good website… well… good?

Core Principles for Effective Website Design

Here are the basics to get you started:

Simplicity: Less is Often More

While many people love lots of bells and whistles on their website, sometimes the message they’re trying to get across can easily get lost amongst all the noise. The most iconic online brands have often used simplicity to their advantage and defined their brands around it. Think iPhone.

Easy Navigation: Don’t Confuse Your Visitors

Trying to convince people to use your service or buy your product? Your website should clearly display all the relevant sections and links needed to persuade visitors you’re great. There are multiple ways to drive potential customers away (some businesses seem to have mastered this art!), however, one sure way to lose them is to confuse them. Should I click here or there? How do I contact them? Where is their number? Where’s their gallery – I want to see their work? If your website can’t answer these questions quickly, then you better revisit your design and understand where you’re going wrong.

Content: The Cornerstone of Value and SEO

While here at Rank we develop visually appealing websites for our customers, the website would be almost worthless if it didn’t include relevant content. This can include information about the business, customer testimonials, an image portfolio of work, and clear reasons why you believe customers should buy from you and not your competitors. Content also plays a vital role for search engines (e.g., Google), which crawl the web to find relevant results for millions of daily searches. So, whether you’re appealing to your customers or search engine bots, great content is essential.

Visual Relevance: Grabbing the Right Attention

On a daily basis, we see adverts on the road, in the mailbox, and on the radio – all trying to grab our attention. However, not all attention is good attention. For example, a really run-down house in a very nice neighbourhood might grab attention, but is this really the type of attention you want? Make sure your website is “visually relevant” so it can grab the *right* type of attention. If you’re selling designer watches, ensure your website appeals to that specific audience. While a plumber might have a fantastic website that looks great and serves its purpose, your website might need a different approach to appeal effectively to your market.

Strategic Use of Colours and Images

Many people want the best-looking website but fail to appreciate the importance of colours and images. Often, colours are carefully chosen to evoke a certain emotion in the person Browse. There’s a whole science dedicated to the psychology of colour, so choose wisely. Images, on the other hand, need to be displayed effectively to complement both the colours and content. A quick phone snapshot taken while driving won’t have the same quality as a shot from a proper digital SLR camera. Sure, the latter might cost more, but the quality of images it produces can definitely help grab your customers’ attention.

Clear Call to Action (CTA): Guide Your Users

Okay, I love your website, it looks really nice. So, what should I do next? While your visitors are intelligent people, you sometimes need to guide them on what to do next with a clear Call to Action (CTA). Imagine someone demonstrating the most amazing gadget that you love and would happily pay for, yet at the end of the demo, they just pack up and leave you hanging. There’s no “Buy Now” or “Limited Stock” – simply… nothing. Hmm, that’s not only confusing but also frustrating. So make your visitors’ lives easier and guide them with CTAs like “Call us Now”, “Add to Cart”, or “Make a Booking”. Don’t be shy about displaying your phone number or email so they can easily get in touch.

Ready to Build a Great Website? Talk to Rank

While the list above is far from exhaustive, it’s a good starting point for most people who either own a website or are about to get one built. Here at Rank, we dive deep into these points when designing your website. We also try to understand your audience to ensure that the work we create is visually relevant to them. So why not call us today to evaluate your current website or design a brand new website cost-effectively if you don’t have one?