Bad web design and ugly websites [http://www.ugliestwebsite.com]are two terms that are quite subjective. What one person may consider ugly, another person might consider quite pleasing to the eye. It is also true that many so-called ugly websites are quite functional and more importantly, they are very profitable. That being said, there are generally agreed upon principles that can be applied to an ugly website to make it more pleasing to the eye and also make your website more user friendly.
The first thing you want to consider is your visitor profile. Are most of your visitors likely to be web savvy? If so, they are probably more interested in a well-designed site. Or maybe the majority of your visitors are newbies and they simply want an easy to use and navigate website. They are not concerned with an award winning design and they certainly don't care about all the bells and whistles. They just want access to the info they need and they want it quick and easy. If you own an ecommerce site, are most of your visitors wary of making payments online via their credit card? Or maybe most of them enjoy the convenience of making payments online without having to speak to anyone.
When considering bad website design, keep in mind that functionality is more important than web design. That certainly does not rule out having a beautiful design. It simply means you should not sacrifice functionality for the sake of beauty. Remember, if you are trying to earn an income, then a website is basically a marketing tool. That is the purpose it serves. Your website should convey trust and move your visitor to action. If an ugly website can accomplish that, then the web design does not matter much, in this case.
If you are still concerned that your website is not what we would call "traditionally beautiful", then there are certain things you can do. Make sure you are using consistency, colors, and images in the proper manner.
Consistency - When you are designing (or possibly redesigning) your website, make sure your pages are consistent. On most pages, your menu should be in the same place. Also, use the same font on each page. If you don't do this, your site will look amateurish.
Colors - Try to use colors that correspond with your company logo. Also, use contrasting colors when creating the text and background. After choosing on a main color scheme, then choose complimentary colors that fit in with your main theme.
Images - Make sure you use high quality images. Also, make sure the images you use convey the proper image. A picture can say a thousand words so you can understand why it is so important to choose the righ images.
Bad web design is a very subjective term. So if you feel like it, go out and create an "ugly website". It just might be a big money maker for you! That will put all those non profitable "shiny" websites to shame.
The first thing you want to consider is your visitor profile. Are most of your visitors likely to be web savvy? If so, they are probably more interested in a well-designed site. Or maybe the majority of your visitors are newbies and they simply want an easy to use and navigate website. They are not concerned with an award winning design and they certainly don't care about all the bells and whistles. They just want access to the info they need and they want it quick and easy. If you own an ecommerce site, are most of your visitors wary of making payments online via their credit card? Or maybe most of them enjoy the convenience of making payments online without having to speak to anyone.
When considering bad website design, keep in mind that functionality is more important than web design. That certainly does not rule out having a beautiful design. It simply means you should not sacrifice functionality for the sake of beauty. Remember, if you are trying to earn an income, then a website is basically a marketing tool. That is the purpose it serves. Your website should convey trust and move your visitor to action. If an ugly website can accomplish that, then the web design does not matter much, in this case.
If you are still concerned that your website is not what we would call "traditionally beautiful", then there are certain things you can do. Make sure you are using consistency, colors, and images in the proper manner.
Consistency - When you are designing (or possibly redesigning) your website, make sure your pages are consistent. On most pages, your menu should be in the same place. Also, use the same font on each page. If you don't do this, your site will look amateurish.
Colors - Try to use colors that correspond with your company logo. Also, use contrasting colors when creating the text and background. After choosing on a main color scheme, then choose complimentary colors that fit in with your main theme.
Images - Make sure you use high quality images. Also, make sure the images you use convey the proper image. A picture can say a thousand words so you can understand why it is so important to choose the righ images.
Bad web design is a very subjective term. So if you feel like it, go out and create an "ugly website". It just might be a big money maker for you! That will put all those non profitable "shiny" websites to shame.
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