❧ What to Keep in Mind When Creating Websites? Web Design Essentials

14 min. reading

Author: Aneta

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❧ A Website Is Not a Backyard Garden – Crashes Are Not an Option! 🍃

A modern website is a sophisticated infrastructure, a seamless fusion of design and functionality that captivates users. Beneath the sleek interface lies a powerhouse of technology, ensuring everything runs like a Swiss watch—think Tissot with sapphire glass ⌚

Your website should glide effortlessly, like a butterfly on a breeze—light, graceful, and polished. But how do you design a site that impresses with the quality of Kilimanjaro’s peak? And how do you ensure the person you hire won’t botch the job? 🤔

Let’s break down the key milestones to check off during the web design process to guarantee everything goes off without a hitch!

❧ Strategic Planning: The Secret Ingredient to a Great Website

Building a website is like cooking. And not just because we love food. Let’s take spaghetti Bolognese as an example 🍝

How do you prep for a cooking session? You make a shopping list, head to the store, load up your cart, and… sprint out without paying! 💨

Just kidding.

You check out, go home, mix the ingredients, season everything, and… wait, you forgot the spaghetti! Twisting it up with fusilli? That just doesn’t make sense 😕

The same goes for web development—skipping strategic planning is a waste of time and money.

A website isn’t built for the business owner's friend’s wife—it’s built for customers. The final result needs to speak to them because they’ll be the ultimate judges of whether the strategy worked. And if they don’t like what they see, they won’t hesitate to leave. If your site lags or takes over 3 seconds to load? Sayonara! They’ll move on to a faster, smoother competitor 💁🏻‍♂️

Understand your target audience’s needs and pain points. Designing with them in mind ensures your website hits the mark and keeps you on the track to… well, a hefty bag of revenue 💰

What goals do you want to achieve? If you dream of business growth as solid as Achilles’ physique, a simple landing page with a contact form won’t cut it.

❧ Numbers Don’t Lie: Define Your Website’s Purpose with Data

How do you pinpoint your website’s main goal to dominate online? Some number crunching is in order. Forget fortune tellers asking for a hefty fee to read your future 🔮—the right data gives you real answers.

Analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs) helps you assess your business strategy's effectiveness. This way, your website becomes your best business ally, helping you outpace competitors daily.

Are you looking to maximize sales, build a brand, or boost product and service awareness? When planning site functionality and information architecture, aligning with your company’s KPIs is a must 📊

❧ SWOT Analysis for Websites – Do You Really Need It?

To create a site that attracts customers like a sizzling food stall at a street fair, you need a full business assessment: resources, competitors, and customer preferences. Enter SWOT analysis. Sounds like a CIA mission, but it’s simply about listing:

Each factor can spark valuable insights into your business’s biggest growth potential. SWOT analysis also serves as a great discussion starter within your team—highly recommended! 💪🏻

❧ Future-Proof Web Design That Stands the Test of Time

Websites should be built to last. Nobody wants to invest in something that needs a full overhaul in just a few months.

Think about your business's future and the functionalities you might need down the line. Are there planned updates? Expansion into new markets? Future-proofing is key, no matter where your company stands today. You never know what’s around the corner.

Partner with an agency that understands modern technology and knows when and how to leverage it. That way, your website stays adaptable, scalable, and ready for whatever’s next.

A budget-friendly website might seem like a good deal—until it unexpectedly crashes, requiring a complete rebuild. Better to do it right from the start and watch your business flourish online 🤑

❧ Clear and Compelling Offers – Design an Effective Services Page

Crystal-clear communication is a must for a high-performing website. Visitors should instantly understand what you offer—without feeling like they stumbled onto your site by accident.

It’s also worth structuring your offer based on a marketing funnel 🌪️

What’s a funnel? It’s a mapped-out customer journey, from brand awareness to consideration, decision-making, purchase, and loyalty. Knowing which marketing efforts drive conversions and revenue can significantly optimize your website’s effectiveness.

❧ User-Centered Web Design – Intuitive UX Matters

Success doesn’t happen without deep research. Every web project should start with a solid understanding of your target audience. No exceptions!

User experience (UX) is everything. The entire design process should focus on delivering the best possible experience. Visitors should feel like VIP guests 🌟 at a five-star hotel—everything they need should be right at their fingertips.

Navigation menus and links should guide users seamlessly through the marketing funnel (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU) based on their stage in the buying process 🛒

User flow mapping—outlining different user journeys—is also invaluable. Well-defined and tested paths help optimize site usability, ensuring a smooth experience.

❧ Content Architecture: The Backbone of Your Website

Information architecture is the blueprint that guides designers and copywriters in shaping the site’s layout and content. It has a huge impact on usability, effectiveness, and overall user experience.

A well-structured website with a logical hierarchy makes navigation effortless and supports business goals. Thoughtful organization helps users find what they need quickly and efficiently 🎯

❧ Competitor Analysis – What Do They Have That You Don’t? 🤔

And why does their website outshine yours?

It doesn’t have to be that way! Identify what works well on other sites and what annoys users. Sometimes, less is more. Overcomplicating things can backfire, leading users to click the exit button ❌

Jacob’s Law—a key principle in web usability—states that users spend most of their time on other websites. As a result, they prefer familiar, intuitive solutions. Reinventing the wheel might just drive them away.

❧ A User Flow So Smooth, Even Eminem Would Approve

If only he were a web designer.

User flow maps out how visitors navigate and interact with your site’s content and features.

Analyzing these flows helps pinpoint where users drop off, allowing for optimization to increase conversions—whether it’s a product purchase 🛍️ or form submission 📝

❧ Web Design That Knocks Your Socks Off 👟

At this stage, we assume that the logo and the entire visual identity are ready to be unveiled to the world. If you want a solid dose of knowledge about the visual aspects of a brand, check out our article on visual identity 🎨

At Kryptonum, we start the website design process by preparing three stylescapes, which help the client quickly decide on the overall visual style of the site.

It’s better to start in great style—step by step—rather than rush through everything and then realize that half of it needs to be changed because the client didn’t like it. That’s why, when designing websites, it's best to begin with the homepage. The design must, of course, adhere to the brand book guidelines and be optimized for tablets and mobile devices. Once the homepage is approved by the client, we move forward with the rest of the project.

❧ What Is a Design System and Why Does It Matter for Your Website?

A design system is a game-changer for designers! 🕹️ It’s a set of predefined rules, components, patterns, and guidelines used to create a cohesive interface. This tool ensures visual and functional consistency across websites, mobile apps, and interactive products.

Why should you invest in a design system?

❧ Pro Tip to Speed Up the Project

Once the design is approved, hand it over to developers right away! They can start working on the code while the final touches are still being made. That’s how you turbocharge the workflow! 🦄

❧ Future-Proofing is the Key 🗝️

Building a website with five articles and four products? What if that number doubles overnight? Your design should be as adaptable as MacGyver in the digital world!

Think ahead—consider empty states. This is when an interface element is visible but doesn’t yet contain content. Instead of a blank space, provide useful guidance. Example? A shopping cart with no items can gently remind users that it’s time for some retail therapy! 🤪

❧ The Magic of Copywriting – The Heart of Your Website 💚

Sure, anyone can write… but how do you craft words that people simply can’t ignore? 👀

For a website to feel complete—and not like it’s about to fall apart at the seams—you need high-quality content. Words shape perception, reinforce professionalism, and build trust.

A quick draft from Marta in accounting? Maybe she’s a great writer, but does she understand UX writing, persuasive copy, and how to overcome customer objections?

Good copy grabs attention and enchants readers—just like Hermione at the Yule Ball ✨ It’s not just what you say but how you say it.

Balance is everything. You need the right mix of emotional appeal and solid information. That’s how you capture interest and hold it for more than 23 seconds.

• Keep your language clear and accessible—avoid jargon and complex phrases. The simpler, the better.
• Write with passion and energy. Enthusiasm is contagious, and a writer who’s genuinely excited about their message will always stand out.
• Maintain brand consistency. Copy should match the brand’s tone across every touchpoint—website, social media, brochures, emails, even phone greetings. The little details make a big impact!

❧ No One Likes a Wall of Text – Here’s How to Keep It Engaging

A giant blocks of text? No, thank you. If you’ve got a lot to say, a blog is the perfect place to let your creativity flow. On other pages, keep it concise, focused, and conversion-driven.

Sometimes, long text is unavoidable—like when a happy customer leaves an enthusiastic review. But even then, you can make it digestible. How?

Use smart interactive elements to improve navigation and avoid endless scrolling.

👉🏻 Accordions

Clickable sections that expand or collapse text for a cleaner layout.

👉🏻 Tabs

Allow users to switch between different content sections without loading a new page.

👉🏻 Tooltips

Small pop-ups providing extra info when hovering over an element.

Proper content structure is also essential. Clear headings, bullet points, and logical sections make reading effortless. Well-organized text keeps users engaged and ensures they find the key takeaways quickly.

❧ SEO That Works – Creating High-Performing Websites

Your content should captivate both humans and Google’s algorithms. Optimizing copy for SEO is like wearing a high-visibility vest in the digital world—it makes your website impossible to miss 🌃

The online space is fiercely competitive. Keyword planning helps you identify the terms users actually search for, giving you a major edge. A strong SEO strategy from the start means better rankings and more traffic ⚖️

Don’t forget image optimization—Google values well-described visuals with proper alt text, titles, and filenames.

When done right, SEO:

• Helps users find exactly what they’re looking for
• Lowers bounce rates and increases engagement
• Boosts your site’s overall performance

❧ Internal Linking – A Simple Trick with Huge Benefits

Internal linking is the practice of adding links to other pages within your own site. This improves navigation, enhances user experience, and strengthens your SEO strategy.

Why is it so important?

• Helps users seamlessly explore your site
• Boosts your site’s ranking on Google
• Strengthens the overall website structure

Carefully planned internal linking guides visitors where you want them to go, making conversions more likely.

❧ Anchors Away! ⚓ The Power of Anchor Text in SEO

Anchor text is the clickable word or phrase in a hyperlink. It helps search engines and users understand what the linked page is about.

Why does anchor text matter?

But beware—overusing the same keywords can look suspicious to Google 🕵🏻‍♀️ and hurt your rankings. Keep your anchor text diverse and natural.

❧ URL Structure – A Small Detail with Big Impact

A well-structured URL improves user experience, boosts SEO, and enhances readability.

Properly structured URLs improve discoverability and enhance user experience—a win-win!

❧ Animations & Microinteractions – Enhancing User Experience

Animations aren’t just for aesthetics—they improve navigation and provide real-time feedback. Subtle hover effects and microinteractions make browsing smoother, guiding users effortlessly.

For example:

• Hover effects highlight interactive elements.
• Loading animations keep users engaged while content loads.
• Button transitions confirm clicks, reassuring users that their action was registered.

The result? Better engagement, longer time on site, and a more intuitive experience.

❧ Core Web Vitals and Website Design

Core Web Vitals measure three key aspects of website usability: loading speed, layout stability, and interactivity. Keeping track of these metrics helps determine whether users can navigate your site quickly and smoothly.

This also impacts SEO. Search engines consider user experience quality in their ranking algorithms. Websites with better Core Web Vitals scores tend to achieve higher positions in search results.

Fast-loading pages with low Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) encourage users to stay longer and explore your content. This can reduce bounce rates and boost user engagement.

❧ Integrations That Supercharge Your Marketing

Everything can be measured—especially when it comes to websites!

Numbers tell the story of what’s happening (or not happening) on your site, allowing you to make data-driven decisions.

Implementing analytics and integrations is crucial for tracking user behavior and ensuring your website functions as intended.

The first step is choosing the right web analytics tool to match your needs. One of the most popular options is Google Analytics. A tracking code is embedded in your website’s source code, enabling data collection on user behavior and interactions.

Next, define the goals and events you want to track. Goals may include newsletter sign-ups, purchases, or form submissions. Events are additional interactions you want to monitor, such as button clicks or link interactions.

❧ Don’t Forget About Tasty Cookies 🍪

A sweet indulgence on your website? No worries—completely legal (and low-carb)!

Of course, we’re talking about cookies and tracking consent. Why is this so important when creating a website?

It’s best to place the cookie notice at the bottom of the page, avoiding intrusive pop-ups. Additionally, offering a cookie settings option in the footer gives users control—because freedom matters! A proper cookie management system isn’t just a legal requirement; it’s also key to building trust with your audience.

❧ Professional Websites Within Your Reach

Are these all the key elements needed for a successful website launch? Not quite—let’s add a few more:

We’ll guide you through the entire process and protect you from pitfalls with the effectiveness of a bulletproof vest!