Three ways to improve a cheap website design
Every website designer has to work within set parameters. Budget, time, expertise and client requirements all demand they create and develop websites and ecommerce stores in particular ways and often impose limits on how unique and stylish they can allow a given site to be.
However, with the right knowledge and skill level, designers and developers can give even the cheapest of sites or online stores a refreshing touch of class. We’re going to take a look at three of the most useful right now in the industry – simple touches that can significantly improve user experience and give an otherwise bland, generic website a major facelift.
Simple touch one: Modal windows
You could be forgiven for thinking modal windows are pop-ups. They’re close, but they have the opposite effect. Rather than disrupt the browsing experience and aggravate the user, modal windows are used for sign-up, contact and feedback forms. They require a specific action from the user in order to close, and they usually darken the background content while they’re active. Modal windows provide a brilliant alternative to linking to a new page or opening another window or tab – they’re a great way for a website designer to jazz up a site.
Simple touch two: Labels on input forms
While we’re talking about modal windows and forms, there’s another form-related development technique which – while very basic – can greatly improve user experience. Labelling input forms removes confusion and makes it crystal clear to the user what they need to do to get where they want to go. The field for entering username would say “username” in light text which, when the user clicks it, disappears to let them enter their own information.
This is a brilliant – but very basic – way of guiding the user through what they need to do, and a subtle touch which can give a lift to a basic, cheap website design.
Simple touch three: Icons, not text
Try doing away with text labels. In many cases, text labels clutter and crowd web pages, while icons look cleaner and can be add to the visual branding of a site through shape and colour. Sometimes text is the best way to go, but designers ought to consider removing it in favour of icons where appropriate – another way of cleaning up and improving a cheap website.
Most of the time, making a cheap website design simple and clear is the best way to improve it – visually and from the user experience point-of-view.
