This is why, when designing websites, you have to start with the end in mind. Figure out who you\u2019re talking to, what they care about, what they want from your website, and what functionality the site needs to offer them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are ten tips for designing a website with your target audience in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great design begins with an understanding of who it\u2019s for. Understanding your customers is a crucial factor for being able to choose the right design elements, such as typography, color schemes, layout, and navigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great design begins with an understanding of who it\u2019s for.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to knowing your audience\u2019s demographics\u2014age, gender, location, etc.\u2014you need to discover what makes them tick. Who are they? What drives them? What are their beliefs and values? Which other companies are they buying from? What products do they use?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The more you know about them, the better you can design a website that meets their needs and requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now it\u2019s time to step into your users\u2019 shoes. Create buyer personas for each type of user who\u2019ll be using your site and dream up some real-life scenarios. Think about what they\u2019ll be looking for when they land on your site, and how easy it is to find that information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider how they\u2019ll find you and what you want them to do when they arrive. Are you looking to generate leads? Promote your products and services? Achieve brand recognition?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a clear picture of your marketing goals and your users\u2019 requirements will enable you to design appropriate site architecture and plan a relevant content strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s common for businesses to be looking over their shoulders or peeking into the yard next door to see what\u2019s happening. By evaluating your competition, you can gain a much clearer picture of where your organization stands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look carefully at your competitors\u2019 websites to see what they have in common. You\u2019re not looking to copy them, but rather to see what works and what doesn\u2019t. Look at usability, design, content, layout and navigation, and optimization. Look for things they do well, but also seek out any weaknesses and opportunities to gain a strategic advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When designing a website, it\u2019s absolutely essential that you, the designer, and your client, the business owner, put aside your personal preferences in favor of what works best for the users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may wish to try out the latest cutting-edge trend or your client may have seen a flashy element they want to include. Remember, what appeals to you may be a total turn-off for the people who\u2019ll be using the site. As a designer, it\u2019s your responsibility to ensure your client stays focused on the end user and that you produce a site that enhances the users\u2019 experience and is a perfect fit for the target audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Custom typography is a fantastic way to express brand personality on a website, and there are numerous fonts to choose between. But choose wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a traditional, corporate feel, serif fonts (those with little feet) do a lovely job, whereas a contemporary, modern feel can be achieved by selecting a sans-serif font, which is more streamlined. Kids will enjoy fun, cartoon-style fonts. Like many things, there are exceptions to this rule, so pay close attention to what your eyes are telling you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Font size also requires consideration. If your audience is likely to include senior citizens or people with sight problems, you need to use a minimum of 12-point fonts and have options to increase the size where necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Color can influence people\u2019s moods and emotions, and sway their behavior. So think carefully about the tone you wish to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should have a good idea of the type of colors that will appeal to your users from your initial research. Start by identifying two main colors to work from. This will make it easy for your customers to recognize and remember your brand, and it\u2019ll make life simpler when you need to make a color choice. It\u2019s also good practice to look for color combinations that are already working well in your industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The old adage\u2014that a picture is worth a thousand words\u2014remains true. Images are processed quicker than words, so they give users an easy route into your content. Choose images that are relevant and that will pique people\u2019s imagination and curiosity, and draw them into your world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Images are a great tool for breaking up text and adding interest to a page, though take care not to include images for the sake of looking pretty\u2014if they have little relevance to your content, your users will be left feeling confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Again, think carefully about your audience when selecting imagery for your website. A younger audience will love graphics, animations, and other media, whereas those who are less computer-literate or may not have a fast broadband connection will simply be annoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Content is king. So your design efforts will be in vain if the site content is inappropriate or lacking in quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your audience has an effect on the type of content and the style of writing. If the website is for a specific profession, then industry-specific jargon is acceptable, and often necessary. But if it\u2019s for general use, too much jargon will result in people bouncing away in bewilderment. Especially if there are likely to be people using the site who don\u2019t have English as a first language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A friendly, conversational tone is perfect for a health and lifestyle website, whereas something more conservative and formal is better for a traditional industry such as banking or insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ordering your information according to visual hierarchy will help your users navigate the site and absorb the information according to your clients\u2019 preferences. Take a human-centered approach to design by basing your layout on how your users will expect the site to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A visual hierarchy gives all elements on a page an order of importance according to how they\u2019re positioned and displayed. The most important thing should be the first thing users lay their eyes on, and it should be the loudest, brightest, and boldest thing on a page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second most important thing should be a little smaller and carry less visual weight. And so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, think how good it feels when a friend turns up at your house with your favorite food. You\u2019re delighted, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you add the same feeling of surprise and delight to your website?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Introduce a fun, quirky, or helpful factor that will surprise and delight your users. This will make them more likely to remember your website and become repeat visitors, and it will help your brand personality shine through. People are more likely to work with companies that make them feel happy and comfortable, so if you can put a smile on their face, you\u2019re more likely to turn them from visitor to customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can put a smile on their face, you\u2019re more likely to turn them from visitor to customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WP Engine is the performant foundation trusted by the WordPress community to provide the best possible experiences for both site developers and visitors. Learn more about our WordPress hosting<\/a> or talk to a representative<\/a> to learn more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" For many people, planning a new online home is an exciting endeavor. It\u2019s an opportunity to create something so impressive it will blow the competition away. But this is where things can start to go wrong. It\u2019s all too easy to get carried away with the latest new web design trends and forget one of…<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":140036,"template":"","resource-topic":[1396],"resource-role":[1397],"resource-type":[916],"class_list":["post-22266","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"laptop](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2017\/04\/design-target-audience-tips.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n1. Identify Your Target Audience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2. Create Buyer Personas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2017\/04\/design-target-audience-personas.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Check Out the Competition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
4. Put Aside Personal Preferences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"a](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2017\/04\/design-target-audience-meeting.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n5. Use Typography to Speak Their Language<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6. Choose appropriate colors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"colored](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2017\/04\/design-target-audience-color.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n7. Include Enticing Images<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
8. Think About Your Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
9. Order Your Information Hierarchically<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/getflywheel-images.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2017\/04\/design-target-audience-computer.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n10. Surprise and Delight Them<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Elevate Your Digital Experiences with WP Engine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n