Why design consistency is important throughout your website?

Let’s face it, today’s world is a digital one. Your website is the face of your brand and most likely the first point of contact your possible customers will have with your business.

The internet has made it easier for companies to reach potential customers, but harder for those companies to stand out from the crowd. So, once you have a potential customer on your site, you need to make it as easy as you can for them to find what they’re looking for. Time is limited in this fast-paced world, people want things now. If things are too difficult or take too long, then they’ll move onto the next best thing.

Consistency throughout a brand is a no brainer; you want your customers to get to the same message from your business, no matter where they look. Why should your website be any different? You want your returning or potential customers to get the same message and have the same experience no matter where they click on your website.

What is meant by consistency of design?

Design consistency means having uniformity in all aspects of the design of your website. Design not only includes the look of the website but also includes things that affect the experience the user has, as well as the message they receive when they use the site. Design includes things like the layout, how a user navigates the site, type of content, tone of content, images used on the site, menus, font and so on.

Consistency in web design is key to getting the most out of your website. Your website can make or break your organisation, so if it takes more resources to get it right from the get-go, then it’s worth making that sacrifice; think of it as more of an investment.

User Experience (UX) is key

The buzz term in today’s market is user experience. User experience is the experience that a person has when using a product, particularly in regards to the ease of use or how pleasant it is to use. This should be your key focus when designing or upgrading your website.

Things to think about are:

How easy is the site to navigate?

There’s nothing worse than a clunky website, users will find it frustrating to use your website if it isn’t easy to navigate. They are much more likely to visit a competitor’s website, that doesn’t have exactly what they’re looking for, but is easier to use. Think about how easy it is for a visitor to find what they need, and make sure that the way they navigate the site is consistent throughout.

Is the website content precise, useful and recurrent?

Design doesn’t just include the look of the website, it also includes the content. If the content isn’t precise and useful, then visitors will get bored and think that your business doesn’t have what they need. In this modern world, people don’t have enough time to read through long, fluffy pieces of information, they want the information that is accurate and informative.

Ensure that all content is accurate and provides valuable information to site visitors. Also make sure that the tone, feel and type of information is consistent throughout the site, this ensures consistency of your brand message throughout the site.

Does the site project the brand image?

Your brand image should be consistently projected throughout your website. The visitor should be reminded of where they are at all stages of their user experience. When a customer visits a major brand’s store, they know exactly where they are. From the layout of the store, to what the employees say, it’s the same wherever they go.

Use simple, globally accepted images for certain aspects
For example, an image of a telephone for “call us” or the image of an envelope for “email us” are globally recognisable images that most people will understand. It makes it easy and also reduces the amount of words required on the site. This simplifies the look of the site and ensures that only important words are included in written content. Once again, make sure that you’re using the same images throughout the site to keep consistency.

Use images rather than long text

Relevant to the above point, less is more. If you’re a travel website, think about having an icon that represents a café rather than the word café, throughout your site. Once again, this reduces the clutter and makes it easy for the user to get what they need quickly and easily.

Be inconsistent if you want something to stand out

It seems like an obvious one, but if you want an element of your website to stand out, the easiest way to do it, is to make it inconsistent with the rest of the site. It draws attention to that specific element, whether it be an action that you want your visitors to take or a product that’s on special, this will be the first thing they look at.

When done correctly, consistency in web design can tremendously enhance the user experience and therefore the productivity of your website. Always having a solid brand image will strengthen your brand, so don’t forget to include your website when you’re planning your brand strategy.