There are some website design standards that simply can’t be tampered with, such as your company logo and colour scheme. Your site should also conform to accessibility standards for those with disabilities, and the coding should fulfil the criteria laid down by W3C.
Any attempt to vary these across your website marks your site down as unprofessional, but just how many web design standards are there? And are there any design rules which can be broken? Here’s our take on five of the most popular ones.
Logo to the Left
The top left of the screen seems to be the only place for a website to place its logo. This should be the case on each website page, and the logo should always be clickable. Website visitors are accustomed to this layout, and any attempt to deviate from it could alienate users.
Websites should be focussing completely on meeting the user’s needs, so it makes good sense to ensure that your site is intuitive, and this means incorporating popular design standards.
Menu at the Top
Just under 90 per cent of websites reviewed went for a navigation bar across the top of every page. Once again, this is a design standard that you alter at your peril – always make it easy for your visitors to find what they are looking for. A good web design company understands the importance of creating a positive visitor experience, so whether you are looking for web design in Belfast, or a brand strategy agency in Gloucester like www.reallyhelpfulmarketing.co.uk/specialist-services/brand-strategy-agency/ make sure you pick the right one for you and your business.
Value Proposition Above the Fold
Only 20 percent of the websites in the study chose a place other than the top of the home page for their value proposition, making this another design standard.
Contact to the Right
A little under 50 per cent of websites researched tended to provide company contact details at the top right of the screen.
Home-Page Carousel
It’s also known as a slideshow, and a little over 30 percent of websites in the study opted for a rolling gallery of photographs on the home page. This is becoming an increasingly popular way of displaying products to visitors.