Design matters. But it only matters so far.
Change your design until it has:
- clear and effective navigation
- enough white space to not look crowded
- a few effective images
- a defined visual hierarchy (where the most important elements are the biggest, boldest and most obvious)
- no more than two, maybe three fonts
- no more than three, maybe four colours
- a search box, and a few other methods for finding content if needed
- minimal clutter
- passed your tests on the desired actions: buying products, signing up for the newsletter, etc
Then stop! Leave the design alone for at least two months, only making changes if they’re really problematic (like not being able to pay money).
Resist the urge to re-do the design because you think it’s gotten “stale”. It’s a good sign when you’re getting a bit sick of the look; that means it’s getting familiar and comfortable for your visitors. Keep a list for feedback and ideas, but don’t implement them.
Instead, spend all that extra time writing content and building relationships. If you use tweaking your design as an avoidance activity (instead of doing the important but scary stuff), be very careful not to replace it with a different avoidance activity. Your Twitter background can wait, and your business cards are fine. So is your logo. Stop it. (Some of you are clutching your chests and thinking, “Oh no! She’s on to me! But how does she know?” Yeah, umm, I just guessed. I’ve never spent three hours changing my colour schemes so finely that no-one noticed but me. Nope.)
Ask questions, and get crystal clear on what your visitors need from you and what they respond to.
Then do your next redesign with a focus on those things.
Your 5-minute mission, should you choose to accept it…
If your website does not currently have a design with the desirable features above, schedule time and/or money to rectify it.
If your website does have all those features, start the tweak list. And stop fiddling with the design.
What stage are you at with your website design? Tell us in the comments!