Every website owners’ intent is to have a steady stream of new and repeat visitors. This article provides some tips to help you design an effective website.

What is the purpose of your website?

If you plan to design your own website to sell products or services, your website will probably aim to achieve the following:

• showcase your products or services;
• aid visitors to make the right choice;
• market your products or services.

What is the purpose of your homepage?

The purpose of the homepage is different than the website. The homepage is meant to:

• impress visitors with your products or services;
• encourage visitors to browse beyond the homepage;
• encourage visitors to take action by clicking on a call-to-action button.

Who are your target visitors?

Online visitors are not only divided by age, but also by gender, location, language and their personal preferences. It is therefore important to keep your target visitors in mind, to design the website with them and their specific characteristics and needs in mind.

Design an engaging website

Every web designer understands that constructing a website is more than just design and coding. It also involves concerns of both aesthetics and usability. Here are some tips to create a sticky website:

• Create a visually appealing layout. This can be attained by harmonizing the font colors with the background, logo and borders (if any);
• Create detailed content, yet be concise and straightforward;
• Design intuitive and logical navigation to make visitors comfortable while browsing;
• Prioritize content for maximum impact. Create unique content that has personality to differentiate your website. This can be achieved by writing with honesty. Do not try to be somebody else. This will bring an authentic voice to your content;
• Optimize files and images to make the website load fast in order to help retain visitors’ interest;
• Make a dynamic and interactive website to encourage visitors to give feedback. This will help boost your website’s popularity.

Web host for your website

Finding the right web host requires research. After narrowing your choices, you can read reviews about them. Here are tips to select the right web host provider:

• Consider if the web hosting provider has a combination of excellent customer service, affordable rates and have all the features you need;
• Check the host’s reliability. They should be reliable, have maximum up-time and give priority to clients who need technical assistance.

Read the Web Host Reviews on this site. One of them should match your budget and website’s requirements.

By applying the tips in this article, coupled with hard work and dedication, you will be able to create an effective website.