The Basics of Good Web Design Explained Simply

At the turn of the millennium, everyone ran a website. Then came blogging. Now, we live in an age when running a website is about more than putting your thoughts on a digital page or using a website builder to put together a few pages. If you want your website to be successful in 2025, you need to learn the skills necessary to put together a full package that not only features engaging content but also ranks in search engines.

There are generally five key criteria and skills you’ll need to learn to start building a competitive website today. In this article, we’ll look at the basics of good web design, explained simply.

A Responsive Design

Having a responsive design is the first step. A website with a responsive design can handle all sorts of traffic, irrespective of the device its visitors use. It has enough wiggle room and flexibility to grow with additional content, and above all else, the needs of users are prioritised.

Developing websites that are mobile-centric is critical, and many one-off visitors will head your way using their smartphones and tablets. Of course, this shouldn’t come at the expense of desktop viewers, who’ll still represent a large part of your audience. Having a flexible layout not only allows visitors to get around the site but also means you’ll be able to add new sections and expand existing ones without drastically altering your site’s design.

Light Server Loads

Unless you’ve got a top-notch server at hand, you’ll likely find yourself handicapped in some way, shape or form. By opting for a minimalist design with fewer images, you’re more likely to attract visitors without your server becoming strained. You’ll want to attract plenty of traffic, but you don’t want your servers bottlenecked or overloaded. The more minimalistic your website is, the less strain it’ll put on your server.

Easy to Navigate

For the most part, navigating a website should be simple and intuitive for as many visitors as possible. One of the best ways to ensure this is to feature an intuitive menu bar. Having a menu that allows your visitors to quickly get from one place to where they want to go will make them more likely to revisit. If your website features a particularly large amount of content, then you’ll likely want to feature search bars or some form of arching system for articles and pages, allowing visitors to access content that might not necessarily be new. The more streamlined you can make this process, the better.

At the same time, we’ve found that CTAs greatly help in navigation. Incorporating CTA buttons which tell visitors what they’ll be doing when they click on them greatly benefits websites. For instance, finding a big, bold button called “support” that opens a live chat box if your readers require it is far more efficient than having them jump through hoops via a contact page. CTA buttons guide visitors to where they want to go, so be sure to include them.

Branding and Colours

Another key aspect of great web design is allowing your brand to shine through. Uniformity helps visitors remember your page and is linked with them revisiting. Opting to create a website mantra and philosophy and sticking to it will ensure that your site doesn’t go off-topic. When it comes to colours, try and opt for the same colour scheme throughout the site. The more you stick to the same branding, colours and design, the more likely your readers are to engage with your page.

Remember not to change the design too often, either. While a redesign and a lick of paint keep things fresh, visitors aren’t often fans of fully redesigned sites – they don’t like change.

Content Strategy and Optimisation

Finally, we want to end with something that is a bit controversial. Yes, SEO (search engine optimisation) isn’t as important as it was a year or two ago. However, you should still ensure that any content you post is optimised for SEO. That means meta tags and all the trimmings. Moreover, any content you post should be human-written (not AI hogwash), clear, concise and on point. Potential webmasters should strive for engaging and relevant internet content that adds value to their readers.

Naturally, it doesn’t hurt to have a user feedback or critique section, either. Having one means that you’re allowing readers to recommend features and content they want to see, and that will keep them coming back. Moreover, if there is something that is overly off-putting, you can rectify it.

Ultimately, even the best web design isn’t a guarantee of success. However, by understanding these basics, you’ll at least put together the foundations of a website that it is set up to do well.