Yesterday we asked our Facebook fans what they think are the top elements, building blocks, which make up a good website. Results show that a large portion of Webs users believe that a good design makes a good website.

Today, let’s dive into some of these elements a bit more to see how they can contribute to helping you make a good website.

Design

Design is a very vague word as it encompasses all the visual elements used on your website. Items such as the theme you use, font(s), logo, colors and layout contribute to your overall website design. Here are few items you should consider when working on your website design:
    – Theme – The theme or template you choose for your website should be consistent throughout all your pages. It should reflect the style and image you want to project on the web. Good themes are focused, understandable and apparent.
    – Fonts – The style of lettering you utilize on your website should be easy to read not only for you but for your intended target audience. For example, if your website is geared towards the older generation, try to select fonts that might be slightly larger and easier to read. There is a whole science behind choosing the right font for your website. Check-out the following article by Derek Halpern if you would like to learn more: What’s the best font for your site? (The psychology of fonts)
    – Logo – Your website logo and name are usually the first thing visitors notice. So, it’s important to create one that portrays what you stand for, is easy to remember and can be easily ported. Meaning your logo can be used both on the web and in print mediums. Here’s a few website logo design tips.
    – Colors – The colors you use on your website also make a huge impact on how it is perceived. According to KISSmetrics, 93% of a consumer’s decision making process comes from visual appearance and 85% comes from color. Colors have the ability to evoke an emotional response. When selecting colors for your website, try to think about the goal of your website and whom you wish to target. Discover Basic Color Scheming and How Do Colors Affect Purchases?

Content

Content is made up of informational elements that you have on your website. These elements include: text, images and videos. Regardless of the purpose for your website, be it personal or business, you want to provide relevant content for visitors. Relevant content means giving them a reason to stay on your site and continue to browse. One way to achieve this is by answering a simple question for your visitors: “What’s in it for me?” Once you know the right information to place on your website consider the following:
    – Text – There are a lot of different things one must consider when making a website. Many of these are specific to the site’s purpose, but a number of general practices can go a long way towards making your page more accessible and easy to comprehend for your visitors. One of these items is the format in which your text shows up. Discover some basic text formatting tips.
    – Images – Imagery you use on your website plays an important role because images help visitors make an emotional connection with the information you are presenting. Images can help you to display your personality, provide depth for your products, and much more. Discover how to use graphics to enhance your website.

Navigation

While content is important for providing credibility to your website, it’s futile if your visitors can’t reach the right information quickly and easily. Your website navigation needs to be intuitive and easy to find. Keep in mind that when visitors come to your website, your goal should be to provide them with a very simple and easy to locate way for finding key information: 3 tips for a more intuitive website navigation.

Lastly, when thinking about information that you should place on your website, make sure you are not committing the following mistakes: 5 Mistakes That Spell Disaster for Your Website.