Consistency can tell the difference between a professional web designer and someone who is learning as they go along. Ensuring consistency over various forms and pages gives the website a well put together feel, improving the experience of unique customers and increasing conversion rates. Consistency does not only entail making sure the color scheme matches or the font size is the same throughout, but ensuring that the behavior of the site is the same throughout also. It is important to have a single core idea and to improve clarity and functionality. We see this a lot with the Iowa City based web design companies.

Aesthetic consistency requires making sure multiple page templates on a website have a systematic feel and look, which makes the site appear more professional. Visitors won’t wonder if suddenly things have changed or if they are presently at the website they know or wanted to find. Leftover pages from previous versions would look out of place and outdated and may lead visitors to believe the same about the content.

There is also reduced spending and lowered work time if a web design is consistent. If the layout is consistent, then the web developer only needs to create a small number of reusable templates for a webpage. Not only does it lend to easy user ability, it also cuts down on the overall work time of the website, which can save you money, seen with our favorite Iowa City based web design company.

Keeping it simple is the best way to ensure aesthetic consistency of your web design. A color scheme with no more than five colors, and that might be pushing it, and about two types of font should be enough for most websites.

Size and intensity can be adjusted to create as much variation in the initial process of design as needed, but note that once visitors are used to a certain layout or presentation, they will be wary of anything different, which might come off as a mistake, confusing or unprofessional, negatively affecting the website. Questions to keep in mind for a consistent website are: is the spacing between elements on a page systemic? Do all headings use the same font? Are functions constantly shown at the same place throughout the website? Are the icons the same family?

These are just a few of the questions a website owner can ask themselves to gage if their website is consistent; see this facebook page for more information: Facebook.com – Iowa City web design

Behavior consistency relates to the learning curve that many people experience whenever they visit a new website for the first few times. Learning how to navigate a particular website, for example, becomes so much easier once a person learns how to do it. They move faster, and their user experience improves. People have a strong memory for locations and sight, which should be used to leverage a website. However, if rules, functions, and layouts keep changing then there might appear to be no logic to the website, and this might turn users away. Users want order and familiarity, and a website that doesn’t seem to have internal logic might not be appealing enough, or worth the time.

To improve a website’s systematic functions in terms of behavior, try to ensure the same key elements of web design are consistent. Keep layouts and functions looking similar in size, color and order even on different pages. This will allow traffickers to move through the site without too much thought, wondering what happened to what they knew before or becoming confused and leaving. The less time potential buyers have to spend wondering what to do to get to what they want, the more time they can spend enjoying the site, your product and/or your services. Predictability is key.

For example, if only some of your external links open in a new window, consider stretching this behavior to all external links on the website. Decided if all pictures should be in a light box, a photo viewing service or a new tab. Decide how you want each function to work.

Even if you are not an actual web designer, being able to identify the traits of a good web design can lead to better communication with your freelancer, which will more enable you to get exactly what you want.

There are even free lessons to learn various templates for web designs online.