Did you ever find yourself scanning a website like you’re speed-reading a menu? And that’s normal. People skim online all day. Your website should be easy to scan as well. You want visitors to land, identify what matters, and move forward quickly. And you don’t need a design degree for that. All you need is a few solid basics.
Here are 5 tips to help you build a professional-looking website. You don’t need to be a design expert.
1. Keep Your Homepage Clean and Uncluttered
Your homepage is like a first handshake. It needs to make a good impression in seconds. Most visitors will decide to stay or leave within 5-10 seconds of landing on your site. There are a few important considerations.
First, your core message should be very clear. Can someone tell what you do or offer at a first glance? If not, then fix that first. All you need is just one main goal for your homepage. If you try to cram five different goals onto one page, this will only confuse people.
Here’s how to cut the clutter:
- Place the main message above the fold
- Leave space between sections so each block feels easy
- Choose 1 or 2 strong visuals instead of text that never ends
And add one clear call-to-action button. Not five buttons. One. Try “Book a Call,” “Join Now,” “Get a Quote,” or “Shop the Collection.” Make it stand out and point it at your main goal.
2. Use Visual Hierarchy So People Know Where to Look
Visual hierarchy is just a guide for the eyes. It tells visitors what to notice first. Then it leads them to the next thing.
You do not need to make this complex. Two easy tricks can help anyone:
First, play with size and weight. Make headlines bigger than normal text. Bold all the important items. Our eyes naturally go to the biggest elements first.
Second, place important items strategically. The top section, the center of the page, and the first content block get the most attention. Put your best content there.
You need to make sure you’re intentionally guiding eyeballs. Use contrast (light vs. dark) and spacing to guide readers through your content. Also, please keep content consistent across your pages so visitors don’t get lost when navigating.
3. Make Your Content Easy to Read
When people say “readability,” they mean this. Can someone quickly scan your page and still understand what you are offering? Most visitors will not read every line. They skim like they’re speed shopping.
Here’s your readability checklist:
- Strong contrast between text and background (dark text on light backgrounds works best)
- Text that’s large enough to read without squinting (16px is a good starting size)
- Simple fonts for paragraphs (save the fancy fonts for headlines)
- No more than 2-3 font types across your whole site
You should also break up your content with clear text “themes” by using consistent styles for headlines, subheadings, and regular text. You need to stick with the same pattern throughout your site. These small changes can make a big difference!
4. Make Navigation Obvious
When it comes to menus and navigation, you need to stick to what works. This is not the place to get creative or experimental. People expect certain patterns while browsing, and you’ll frustrate them if you break even one of those patterns.
And so every site needs these navigation basics:
- Your logo should link back to the homepage (people expect this)
- A simple and visible menu that follows the importance of your pages
- For long pages, you can try adding anchor links or a “back to top” button so people don’t get stuck scrolling
Also, don’t waste your footer! The bottom of your site is also valuable real estate. Here, you can add contact information, key links, social media icons, and a simplified menu.
5. Stay Mobile-Friendly From Day One
Your site also needs to look good on phones from the start and not as an afterthought. Most people will visit your site on mobile devices even before ever seeing it on a computer.
Check these things on every page:
- Can you read the text without zooming?
- Are the buttons big enough to tap with a finger?
- Is there enough space between clickable elements?
- Do images resize properly?
- Is important content visible without endless scrolling?
You should keep your mobile version even cleaner than your desktop site. Also, remove unnecessary elements, simplify your layout, and reduce anything that takes up too much space.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even great sites make these errors sometimes:
- Putting unnecessary designs ahead of usability
- Cramming in too much text or too many images
- Using different colors, fonts, and layouts on each page
- Ignoring how the site looks on phones
- Missing or weak call-to-action buttons
- Forgetting basic accessibility needs like good contrast and alt text
- Slow loading pages because the images are too big