Design elements are the building blocks of a strong and successful online presence. The design of a website is not just meant to give it an attractive look, it goes far beyond that.

Website designers work closely with website marketers, SEO experts, developers, and other key stakeholders, so that the critical success factors are taken into account while conceptualizing and designing website.

Some of the key things that the design team should be aware of are:-

1.The objective of the website
2.Overview of the business
2.The target audience (age group, if technically savvy…)
3.Ecommerce aspects
4.Geography specific information
5.Design and layout for newsletters
6.Usage of images

If there is a brick and mortar presence, the look and feel of the website will need to get integrated with it.

 
Designers create the ambience of the website, and web marketers work with the web designers to ensure that critical elements are included.Designers would like to create great designs and sometimes they may find it difficult to design within constraints. For instance, having an opening flash page vis-à-vis a static home page…designers may prefer some amount of creativity and animation but most SEO experts will tell you that too much of animation and graphics may not be great for a website. However, if there is a balance and the elements are used in moderation and based on what the audience wants, it may be a great way to attract and retain visitors.

Another important aspect of website design is the flexibility in the design.

Does the design provide for additional updates? 
Is there room for adding more navigation buttons, can small changes be made without changing the entire concept?

Some of these things need to be brainstormed over before finalizing a design.

The essence of any design is to capture the visitor’s interest by creating a website that is attractive, provides easy access to information, and downloads fast.

So what do visitors want?

1.They want to get the information that they are looking for as quickly as possible.

2.Once they have the information, they should be able to quickly go to the next step. This is where content and design plays a significant role.

3. And finally, when they are ready to convert, they should be able to find information regarding: Payment modes, security, delivery, helpline, online chat, etc.

A successful website rests on a workable and implementable design concept, a design that adds value by capturing the visitor’s attention and retaining them. It is therefore important that a good amount of time is spent on working with designers explaining them the objectives and providing them valuable feedback.

A website design that helps and aids in achieving a website’s objective is priceless!