5 Qualities of a Great Website

Company websites, personal blogs, and ecommerce stores – whatever the website is, there are always some websites that are just better than others. But sometimes it’s hard to pin down exactly what factors makes one website better than another one. The truth is that much of a website’s success can be attributed to a few basic qualities. With that in mind, here are a handful of website qualities to focus on that will put your site in the top of its category.

Layout

Humans are intrinsically visual, so one of the first things we judge a website on is its appearance. Having the right layout for your site is key to making it look good. Choose a good color scheme and a layout that suits your purpose. If you’re using WordPress, you have a few hundred preset designs to choose from, depending on the type of site you’re creating. These can also be customized to your needs. Use images effectively, but don’t overcrowd your site.

Images

Speaking of images, make sure that the images you use are relevant images that look good and are high-quality. Remember that higher-end images have much bigger file sizes, which will slow down your site. While the images you use don’t need to be 4k, they do still need to look good on a top-end monitor. Unless you need very specific images, it’s probably not worth paying for a photographer to take your own pics, as this can get pretty pricey. Also, chances are that similar images already exist online. Use a site like Burst by Shopify to find a huge range of free stock images that will suit your needs within your niche.

Load Time

Something that really turns people off when they’re browsing is a slow load time. To avoid this, you’ll want to make sure your site loads as quickly as possible. Size images correctly before you upload them, and consider compressing images with a tool like G-Zip, as it’s compatible with most browsers and will drastically reduce bandwidth requirements. Combine elements where you can, as each new element is a new HTTP request which adds to your site’s load time. Keeping your plug-ins to a minimum and using browser caching will also help keep load times down.

Content

Good content is a must for maintaining a successful website. Whether you run a blog, or a newsletter for your company website, make sure you upload high-quality content on a regular basis. Good content will capture the interest of your site’s visitors and regular uploads will keep them engaged. An intriguing title and image will mean readers are more likely to check out posts.

Interaction

To really engage your audience, they should be able to – and want to – interact with your site. Make sure your site is user and mobile-friendly. Open up comments sections on your posts and options to share via social media. Easy and pleasant interaction will keep your audience engaged and interested. Comments will naturally make way for trolling, but delete these posts and interact with opinions shared on your articles by replying to them.

Whenever you post on your site, be sure to share it to your social media account, which you should have linked to your website. Social media makes you and your site more relatable and people prefer to interact with a site they can relate to.