A website layout is actually a pattern (or structures) which defines the arrangement of a website in logical, aesthetic terms. It has the crucial role of structuring a website both for its owner and for visitors. It puts the most essential elements of a website right and center, so that clear visible links to the vital content are available for all to see. It also makes it easy for online readers to follow a website, regardless of their technological capabilities.
In many ways, a website layout helps guide visitors to navigate easily from one page to another and to stay longer in a particular website. For example, an e-commerce website layout would not be suitable if all products had been placed side-by-side in a column. It would confuse visitors who try to locate items based on color, shape or any other feature.
A website layout also provides a useful tool for conversion marketing campaigns. Most companies today focus on getting as much user experience as they can, while still achieving conversions. Conversions are the difference between sales and revenue. The visibility of a website and its usefulness as a learning resource for visitors is an absolute essential. This means that a company should focus on both features when creating a website layout.
The main reason why website layouts help in converting traffic into customers is the way they encourage interaction. This is because many visitors come to websites looking for information, but they may not be able to find it, especially if there is no layout to guide them. Thus, it is necessary to provide clear, meaningful and accessible navigation links. This way, visitors are able to explore the rest of the website, including the rest of the pages.
Other elements that contribute to the success of a layout approach are: easy navigation, ability to quickly change content, ease of use, and attractive designs. Most websites employ the magazine layout approach, which is quite popular. This type of layout attracts visitors by presenting several pages that link to the one page that contains the product information. For example, one page could contain the price, the next page could contain additional information about the product or service, and the forth page could direct the customer to the order form.
In addition, some companies create the best layouts by making sure that they leave as much white space as possible. White space is the ‘space’ between elements, such as text, images and links. In this case, the absence of white space can actually increase the chance of attracting more visitors because white spaces imply clean, uncluttered environment. However, the drawback is that white space is visually unappealing, and in some cases it can even annoy visitors. Thus, it is important to balance white space with adequate legibility. xsct
The fourth element that contributes to a website layout’s success is the call-to-action, also known as the call-to-consume or call-to-action button. The aim of a call-to-action is to get the visitor to act. An easy example would be an online magazine, which has a large menu on one page. The menu button attracts the visitor to select the desired pages and to visit the particular website. Thus, the focus of the call-to-action must be on attracting visitors to visit the website rather than on redirecting them to other locations.
Finally, the fifth most important element that contributes to the success of any website layout strategy is usability and user experience. While designing a website layout, professional web designers take note of several things, including: how visitors perceive the layout; what makes a user experience pleasant; what makes a user experience frustrating; and what makes a difficult user experience pleasant. These factors are taken into consideration to help create the best website layouts. For instance, if a layout has too many images and links, there will be too much ‘dangling text’, and too little user experience. Therefore, if a website has to be designed for highly competitive online magazines, it is best to focus on user experience and usability to ensure the best user experience possible.