A lot goes into a successful website design, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve created a website design checklist. Following these simple steps will help ensure your website is clear, easy to navigate, looks professional, and communicates your mission.
So before you hit publish, make sure you’ve considered the following:
Designing your site plan
Anatomy basics: Every page on your website should include the most important structural elements: a header, body, footer, and hero image. Our detailed breakdown of website parts and terminology explains the most important web design features and buzzwords.
A simple navigation menu: Imagine this as the map and compass for your website. It should include your most important, or top-level, pages: think “Contact” or “About”. It’s best to keep it clear and concise (5-7 pages), so visitors can easily find what they’re looking for.
Group your subpages: If you need additional, more specialized pages, you can group them as subpages under a few important top-level pages. This helps keep your design simple to navigate.
Tip: Don’t forget to use links! These make it easier for visitors to access the information they need and navigate your website.
Creating a unique website design
Create a logo: A unique logo represents your brand. It helps visitors immediately recognize you. It should compliment the style and theme of your website. Make sure it’s high resolution and, if necessary, has a transparent background so it doesn’t clash with other colors. With our Logo Creator, you can make one for free!
Design a logo that makes your business stand out.
Pick a background and texture: A website’s background is like its wallpaper, and helps create a unique look. If you’re using an image in the background, make sure it’s high quality and that you’ve got the rights to use it. You can also download a pattern instead of a photo. Here are our top tips for choosing the best images for your website.
Set your colors and theme: Consistent colors throughout your website give it a branded, professional look. If you’re a web design beginner, it’s best to keep things simple. Often, black, white and grey can do the trick, with small bits of brand color added in for variety. These simple changes are the first steps toward customizing your own website design.
Add personality with icons: Icons can add some visual excitement to otherwise plain website features and buttons. There are plenty of free resources for icons out there, just make sure they match your color scheme.
The keys to good website content
Clear and concise content: The text on your website is also part of your design. Choose a font that’s easy to read, and break your text into shorter paragraphs that are easier to read. For a more detailed breakdown, we’ve compiled The 11 Golden Rules of Writing Content for Your Website.
Make your mission statement stand out: Users should know exactly what your site is about when they first land on it. Every part of your website should have a clear intention that supports your mission. Including calls to action, or CTAs, can inspire users to share in the values and goals your website represents. See our tips to create better CTAs.
Keywords and SEO: Keywords help search engines find your website and its content. This is known as Search Engine Optimization. Also make sure any images you use have an “alt-text” – this tells search engines what the images are about. Learn more in our Beginner’s Guide to SEO.
Legal disclaimer: For many websites, it’s important to be compliant with privacy and data protection requirements. That’s particularly true in the EU, which is why Jimdo offers a Legal Text Generator to ease the stress.
Remember: Almost every website will need updating eventually. Don’t worry about it being “done”. Start with the basics and make changes over time as you learn what works for you and your audience.
Want to know more? This website design checklist list is just an overview of the most important steps. For more website and business tips, or just some good inspiration, browse the latest offerings on our blog.