Different websites have different purposes and therefore have different requirements in the user interface. The first question I ask myself and my client when designing a web page is ultimately “What do you want the user to do next?” The question is so important, yet is often overlooked by most designers and developers. If I want them to fill out a form, how do I direct their attention to the form? If I want them to watch a video, how can I get them to do so? Knowing what you want a user to do next is important as knowing what exactly it is your website is about.

This task is much more difficult than it sounds on paper. We need to consider that the last thing we want a user to think they are looking at is spam, even if it is. Ultimately, a user wants to land on a page that is a) what they were searching for when reaching you and b) professional-looking enough not to raise any red flags. The former is most important on e-commerce websites where the goal is to sell something tangible and not look like a scam-artist while the first is a requirement across all websites. This means that the user interface includes not only includes design and content, but page titles and descriptions as well.

By taking into account the little things that affect a user’s website experience, we can ensure that the end result will be a positive one.