Here’s another web development essential element series discussion and this time let’s discuss the importance of layout in web design. Layout plays an intricate part in creating a unique website for your business.

One of the most important aspects of a successful website is its layout — page layout to be more specific. If you think thoroughly about it, people would find reading through walls and walls of text such a tedious process. Nowadays, people prefer to gather information fast and using images, infographics, and videos to convey data is even better.

What is a web layout?

Web layout is an essential web development element that helps your website become successful — and it can also make your website fail if not done properly. To simply put it, it is a pattern or a framework which defines your website’s structure. Its role is to structure the information you have on your site, providing clear paths for your user’s navigation within pages and places the most important elements of a website front and center.

What is the importance of choosing the right layout for your website?

An excellent web layout helps you keep users on your site because needed and important information is easily accessible and intuitive to find. On the other hand, a bad layout can be frustrating for your users making them leave your site because it is difficult to find what they are looking for — this also increases your site’s bounce rate which is not good for your business.

According to a report from HubSpot, there is a strong relationship between your web layout and user engagement because web layout helps you determine how long they stay on your web pages, the number of pages they browse, and how often they come back to your site.

What is Gestalt Law of Closure?

In selecting a web layout, it is useful to consider the Gestalt Law of Closure — according to this illustrious theory, the human eye can fill in visual gaps and able to recognize an image as a whole even if its shape is not complete.

What are some of the different web layout best practices?

1. Use of visual weight through negative space

When some objects in a website have stronger visual force the visual weight is perceived by users. This visual force can be prompted in specific elements with the use of different techniques and amongst these is the negative space. Negative space is a space that is devoid of elements that drive attention towards elements that outweigh the rest through visual force.

2. Having balance in a silhouette view

Silhouette view is considered the simplest representation of a web layout — it is also known as the bare structure of a web layout. The silhouette view provides an objective meaning of your website’s overall structure even without color adjustments, specific content, and additional elements. It is wise for you to learn the balance of website elements in a silhouette view because coherent balance among these different elements makes up your web layout.

3. Try going outside the standard web layout

There are sites that follow the traditional web layout path with the goal to serve the best functionality, while other sites use daring web designs and structure with the goal of creating an impact on their users. Going outside the standard web layout would also mean unexpected arrangements of the elements on your site pages. Alongside this, the user experience (UX) triggers can stand out in a vast sea of standard website design — this can help users remember your website more compared to your competition.

4. Creating sections for specific feature and users

The arrangements of the elements on your website that can be changed also mean that users can easily navigate through different sections on your site. If your business is related to the fashion industry, then your website is dedicated to clothes or apparel — then, you can arrange your website layout to support distinctive sections or categories for women, men, and kids.

Conclusion

Having a professionally designed web layout is an excellent way to execute your website design plans. A clean and clear web layout that is easy to read and navigate makes your users comfortable with your site.

To learn more about web layout, you can download our Web Development ebook.

If you’re looking for help in planning your web layout, talk to one of our web development specialists now!