{"id":4341,"date":"2017-03-06T06:39:42","date_gmt":"2017-03-06T13:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.taterboy.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/what-web-designers-can-learn-from-web-developers\/"},"modified":"2017-03-06T06:39:42","modified_gmt":"2017-03-06T13:39:42","slug":"what-web-designers-can-learn-from-web-developers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taterboy.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/what-web-designers-can-learn-from-web-developers\/","title":{"rendered":"What web designers can learn from web developers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Web designers tend to focus a lot of their attention on the visual elements of a design. How do the colours work together? Is the layout balanced? Is the spacing optimal? As designers, approved<\/a> we want our creations to be as visually pleasing as possible, shop<\/a> because we know this feeds directly into the overall quality of the experience.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s far more to designing an excellent website than ‘making it pretty’.
\nIn fact, every dollar you invest in user experience (UX) can translate into $100 in income<\/ins><\/a> for your business. UX is thus a vital aspect of web design \u2013 and not just from the business side.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why, when I wanted to up my game in web design, I turned to web developers to get a few ideas. As you bring the visual aspects of your next design together, take some time to focus on the following elements, and you\u2019ll create a site people want to stick around on.<\/p>\n

Provide security<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re asking your site visitors to share their personal information with you, they need to know their info\u2019s safe from hackers and the world at large.<\/p>\n

Security concerns are the main reason mobile users choose not to buy<\/ins><\/a> a product online, especially if they\u2019re older. And that fear is just as powerful as aggravation over other usability issues. With identity theft rampant these days, people are reluctant to share financial data unless they feel safe.<\/p>\n

So take time to think about how you protect the information people share with you. And perhaps more importantly for designers: how you show people their data\u2019s safe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Take time to think about how you protect the information people share with you<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even if it\u2019s something as simple as a name and email address, how will you secure it from hackers? And what visual signs will you offer that said info is safe? Chrome now does a great job of showing users that a site is served over HTTPS, but if your audience skews older, you may need to make such signals even more prominent.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also want to make sure your privacy policy is easy to access, so your site visitors will understand how you work to protect them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you use Webflow, we\u2019ve got your back on the privacy front, with free SSL for all sites with Webflow Hosting<\/ins><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Go responsive<\/h3>\n

These days, your website needs to be responsive. Around 77 per cent of Americans own a smartphone<\/ins><\/a>, and yet an astounding 91 per cent of small business websites aren\u2019t mobile-optimised<\/ins><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you visited a rare coffee bean website on your laptop (we\u2019re not going to say it\u2019s civet coffee, but maybe). Then you head out to lunch with your friends and want to share it with them. But when you pull it up on your iPhone, it\u2019s distorted and hard to browse. You can\u2019t show your friends anything, and you\u2019ll likely grow aggravated and find a different website that sells rare coffee beans.<\/p>\n

Skip the app<\/h3>\n

Thinking about paying someone to build a mobile app for your website? Think again.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Statistics show that there are around 50 million mobile apps downloaded each day, yet 95 per cent are abandoned within 30 days. Beyond a few popular exceptions, people just don\u2019t want to use your app.<\/p>\n

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95 per cent of mobile apps are abandoned within 30 days<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So unless your product is all about getting something done quickly and easily while on the go, you need a responsive website, not an app<\/ins><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t lose sight of the visuals<\/h3>\n

Even when you\u2019re focused on usability, visuals still matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

90 per cent of the information transmitted to the brain is visual. And visual learners \u2013 people who learn best via visual aids \u2013 make up over half the population. So adding images, infographics and data visualisations to your content can help the majority of your site visitors fully understand the message you are trying to convey.<\/p>\n

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Even when you\u2019re focused on usability, visuals still matter.<\/p>

<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

Just know that when you add a lot of graphics to a website, you have to make sure they don\u2019t also slow it down and kill your conversion rates<\/ins><\/a>. That\u2019s one reason Webflow automates responsive image creation<\/ins><\/a> \u2013 and offers tips you can use to optimise your images<\/ins><\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s okay to use video (in some places)<\/h3>\n

In the past, many web developers were reluctant to use video because not everyone was on high-speed internet. But in the US, that\u2019s changing.<\/p>\n

At the end of 2015, Pew Research Center reported that 67 per cent of Americans had broadband at home<\/ins><\/a>, while those who didn’t often turned to their smartphones. For the rest, there\u2019s high-speed internet at cafes, libraries and coffee shops. With so many more people on high-speed internet connections, bandwidth concerns have become less pressing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Video can boost your conversion rates, too. According to survey data, 73 per cent of people say video helps persuade them to buy<\/ins><\/a> a product or service.
\nDon\u2019t just add a video for the sake of adding a video, though \u2013 make sure it has a purpose. Do you want to teach your site visitors something? Inform them about the special features of your product? Make them laugh? Whatever your goal, your video should enhance the rest of your content, not replace it.<\/p>\n

Stay up to date<\/h3>\n

The number one thing I\u2019ve learned from web developers is to stay up to date on the latest trends in design<\/ins><\/a>, usability, and site visitor preferences. Web developers stay on top of the latest software and best practices, and they\u2019re always trying new things. We web designers should do the same.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t be afraid to think outside the box. Don\u2019t be afraid to consult with other designers and web developers if you have questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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