Lately, gourmet cooking and meal prep videos are all the rage on social media feeds. The content creators know that getting the right ingredients, using their creativity, and taste-testing are all part of the show to get your attention and draw you in, making you crave more. Web design strategy is no different. It requires a lot of the above, and just a hint of some taste-testing, but when you get it right, it’s like Gordon Ramsey’s classic beef Wellington—a succulent combination of ingredients that not only looks great, but leaves a great taste that will keep people coming back for seconds (or maybe even thirds)! Let’s take a look at why you need this strategy and how you can make it happen.
Why You Need a Web Design Strategy (And Not Just a Pretty Cake)
Ever watched Cake Boss? If you have, it’ll be no secret that cakes have two aspects to them: the fancy fondant meant to draw your eyes to it and the fabulous filling meant to draw your fork to it. Web design strategy works in a similar way. Just like an elaborate cake topped with hand-crafted icing and elaborate floral arrangements and doilies, your web design can be a nice-looking showstopper that drives serious traffic. But if it’s all pretty icing, yet a dry, lifeless husk on the inside, don’t expect people to come back for more than a bite. Looks can deceive, but they can only get you so far. That is why your design strategy is so important. It makes sure your website is not just eye candy with nothing more to offer.
Think of your strategy as the cake recipe you follow to make sure every element of your website is contributing to the whole, inside and out. And just like any good cake boss can tell you, you know who you are baking it for and what they are expecting. That is where personas come in.
Personas: Your Website’s Secret Sauce
Everyone knows that some of the best eateries and digs are hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop establishments that have been going for decades and practically never turn their stoves off. This brings to mind soup shops in Chicago, family pizzerias in New York, and the amazing pho place on the corner with the faded menu photos because they’ve just been so busy taking orders they’ve never had time to replace them. Funny, but true. And what is the one thing all these places have in common? A secret sauce that caters to a specific clientele.
When it comes to web design strategy, your “persona” is that special sauce that takes you from good to unforgettable. It helps you figure out who is sitting at your table, reading your menu, taking their order, and coming back every week and bringing their friends and family, too! Knowing this helps you design a website that satisfies their appetite, whether they’re visiting for a feast of information or just a quick bite.
Creating a persona is not hard—it just requires a bit of taste testing. It helps you figure out what makes your audience tick, whether they want a bit of sugar, spice, or something else nice.
Content & Design: The PB&J of Your Website
There are a few inseparable duos in food: peanut butter and jelly, burgers and fries, cookies and milk, bagels and cream cheese. And like any good duo, they just work. But they only work if they are in harmony and in the right proportions. Same rules for content and design on your website. Imagine a PB&J sandwich with too much PB or too little J. It just ain’t the same! It doesn’t “jam” (pun intended) and it’s not in harmony, so it’s just not that good. A solid web design strategy makes content and design balance a reality and a much more appetizing website.
If your website’s all fluff and no substance, similar to the cake analogy, visitors will simply bounce. Instead, try focusing on a nice layer of content that is smooth and engaging, and on top, another layer of design that is easy to digest. Need more tips on making content pop on your website? Check out this content marketing plan.
Must-Have Ingredients for Your Web Design
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into the key ingredients that make a web design successful. Just like cooking, you need the right elements in the right proportions to create something that truly stands out:
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User Experience (UX) Design: The Flour
Your UX is the foundation of your recipe, like flour in a cake. Without UX, just like a cake without flour, your website is a harsh, textureless brick of a thing that looks like it came straight out of the ‘90s. That will put people off, as it will not be easy for them to navigate and enjoy their visit to the site. A strong UX creates a solid structure, a base template that holds everything together and makes your website intuitive and engaging.
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Responsiveness: The Eggs
Eggs are the binding agent in a cake, just as responsive design ensures your website functions nicely across all devices. No one wants a website that works great on a desktop but is a jittery, discombobulated mess on a smartphone! No matter where it’s viewed, a website with responsive design adapts, holding your website together and ensuring it looks and performs beautifully no matter where it’s accessed.
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SEO-Friendly Structure: The Baking Powder
Baking powder is the ingredient that makes your cake rise, just as an SEO-friendly structure elevates your website’s visibility. Domain authority is absolutely essential, and by organizing your content effectively and incorporating proper keywords and meta tags, you help your site rise in the search engine rankings, reaching its unfettered potential.
How Personas Make Your Web Design Sizzle
Remember that secret sauce for your website we talked about? Personas. Let’s get back to that. We already established that they add the flavor to your site that keeps your audience happy. But one other thing to remember is although these might be your imaginary “diners” in the website strategy world, keeping them top of mind allows you to tailor a website to their specific tastes. Whether your persona is “Busy Brenda” who is just coming in for a quick bite, or “Techie Tom” who’s visiting for the gourmet experience, your strategy should cater to every taste. And believe us, they will be coming back for seconds. Curious about how personas can spice up your website? Check out this flavorful guide on Personas.
Picking the Right CMS: Your Website’s Sous-Chef
Choosing the right Content Management System (CMS) is like picking the perfect sous-chef for your kitchen. You need one that’s reliable, versatile, and won’t flake out on you in the middle of service. Whether you go for WordPress, Joomla, or another CMS, make sure it’s got the tools to keep your site running smoothly and looking fresh out of the oven.
Measuring Success: The Taste Test
Once your website is plated and served, it’s time to see if your recipe for success is hitting all the right spots. But don’t worry. You don’t need to be a master chef to figure this out. Just keep an eye on a few key metrics—like how long people are staying, which pages they’re savoring the most, and whether they’re taking that sweet action you want. With tools like Google Analytics, you can adjust your seasoning as needed and keep your site deliciously effective.
Wrap-Up: Your Web Design Feast
In the end, just like a culinary experience with Chef Ferran Adrià at elBulli, a strong web design strategy is like a five-course meal—it keeps your visitors satisfied and intrigued from start to finish. By focusing on your users, balancing content and design like a perfectly layered cake, and sprinkling in a bit of SEO magic, you’ll create a website that looks good and leaves a lasting impression.
Ready to dive in? Your website (and your customers) will thank you!