WordPress is nothing short of an internet phenomenon. Now thought to power more than a
quarter of all websites, the world’s largest content management system (CMS) has
transformed web development.
Whereas web and creative design used to be something only experts in computer programming could do,
nowadays CMS platforms like WordPress make it much more accessible. Still, if you are
aiming to build a high-quality professional site, a certain degree of skill and knowledge is
required, namely in areas like design, navigation, SEO and so on.
That is why people are still hiring digital agencies to design and build their websites, even on
WordPress. The timescales and the costs are lower, but to build a high-performing website,
you still need that degree of expertise.
So how do the best WordPress website designers make their platforms stand out from the
crowd? Well, much the way high quality web designers have always approached their craft.
WordPress and other CMS platforms may have changed the nuts and bolts of web design,
but the core principles for success still remain.
Here are our ultimate tips for getting the best out of WordPress.
Keep things simple
With all of its numerous plug-ins, WordPress offers a vast range of options when it comes to
designing your web pages. It is easy to feel like a kid in a sweet shop, and want to give
everything a try.
Good design is not about loading as many different features as possible onto a page,
however. All that achieves is a cluttered look that gets in the way of the functionality of your
site. Design should be striking yet simple, and always aimed at complementing how people
use your site. With colour schemes, for example, it is always best to stick to a palette of just
two or three core colours, so visitors aren’t overwhelmed or distracted from the content.
Be smart with white space
Continuing on the no-clutter theme, how you layout and segment the content on your pages
has a profound effect on how visitors judge a site. Put simply, the harder it is for someone to
quickly scan and find the information they are looking for, the more likely they are to leave in
a hurry.
It is a common misconception in web design that white space is dead space. The best
designers, however, know how important white space is in creating clear, clean layouts that
help rather than hinder visitors find what they are looking for.
Pay attention to fonts
The fonts you choose may seem like window dressing, but they are actually a very important
part of your overall design. The overwhelming majority of web content is still text, and good
designers know not to ignore this opportunity to make the right impression.
Fonts that are the wrong size, colour and style can hinder how easy content is to read. But
on the flipside, careful choice of fonts can help to make certain information on a page stand
out, improve how easy it is to scan for information, and contribute to an attractive design.
Prioritise responsive design
One of the golden rules of all web design these days is to bear in mind that people browse
the web on devices with a great variety of different screen sizes. Designing a site so it looks
great on desktop is not going to be much use if the majority of your customers look you up
on smartphones or tablets.
The answer is to put responsive design first. This ensures your site automatically optimises
appearance, navigation and layout to suit different devices. It is not straightforward to
achieve, although various WordPress tools and plug-ins make it much easier than it once
was.
Find out more
Need a new website in a hurry? Ultimate Creative designs and builds high quality, affordable
WordPress sites for a wide range of professional uses. Get in touch today to speak to our
web development team.
