Well, when is actually trying to evaluate the performance of their website they would naturally consider a series of parameters to assess the same and arrive at a final conclusion. But, here the question is does the website design have an impact on the performance of the website and whether it is a positive effect or a negative effect.
Website performance can be ascertained by the kind of traffic it is attracting, the available RAM, PHP memory usage, server processing power, database optimization and some other aspects too that include web hosting. All these factors have a role to contribute into the performance of the website but how far and to what extent does the website design impact the website performance?
Though there is a lot of importance given to the aesthetic factors while designing a website, one should not forget the kind of effect it will have on the performance. More the number of animations, images and embedded Flash, chances that the pages will remain inaccessible are very high. Therefore, there has to be a perfect combination of right things in the right proportions.
In addition to the animations, Flash and images there is also the dependence on numerous JavaScript elements which is a web design component that affects the web page loading time. Yes, as mentioned earlier it is the file types which have a major role to play in the performance of a website. It is also a widely known fact that converting the formats definitely has a positive effect on the website performance. Music loading time and intense graphics have a direct impact on the performance of the website. And these are definitely an integral part of the website design.
Frankly speaking, a website design depends on four solid pillars.
1.) First and foremost is a solid layout. It is needless to reiterate that a good foundation paves the way for having a fully functional website. So, you have to get all the navigational elements and the content absolutely right on the website. Using wireframes and being generous about the whitespace (there are many designers who stuff the web pages or designs…let the pages breathe…having more whitespace will in fact accentuate the sophistication element in the website design).
2.) Secondly, typography places an equally important role in the website design. Intelligible typography and appropriate structure of the content will drive home the point successfully.
3.) Thirdly it is the appropriate color scheme which will create the apt atmosphere for the user to go further on your website. The choice of colors greatly depends on who the target audience is and when this parameter is borne in mind when the web design is on the way. Sometimes it is just little color which becomes the right color too. It all depends on the theme of the website and the target group too.
4.) Last but not the least web design also depends greatly on using the appropriate design elements. Icons, patterns, texture and many other aspects too, set the mood of the website. So, having a constant vigil on the goals of the site as well as the target group will help in having one winner at hand. Lot of applications on the website will definitely dampen the speed in which the website will get loaded.
When any of these elements are handled in a wrong manner it definitely affects the performance of the website. Of course the nature of the server also affects the performance of a website…a fast server is very important if one wants to have a flawless performance of their website.
While designing the website the designers should ensure that they use those files that do not take lot of space and are quick to load too without compromising on the quality of the images.
Bitmap and JPEG are perfect examples of the same wherein the former occupies a lot of space and the latter less space as they can be compressed to smaller file sizes without compromising on the quality of the pictures. Same is the case with the audio on the website.
Therefore the page layout, page load time, page element’s weight, advertisements or pop-ups and content are integral part of every website design.
And when these are at their optimum best, one can be assured of a good performance and even a single component is slow, it definitely affects the performance of the website.
Hence it becomes mandatory that the web designers weigh all these parameters, their pros and cons at the inception stage itself to come up with a website that is compatible with any kind of a browser and also any device because that has become the order of the day now. Website design therefore is a very crucial element and a decisive factor of the performance of the website.
About Hemant Parmar
Hemant Parmar is an eCommerce expert and a keen Magento consultant who specializes in meeting the needs of businesses in the e-commerce space. Years in the eCommerce market make him a perfect choice for sharing his expertise on eCommerce and Magento 2 development. He believes that customers need to be met no matter how challenging it might be.
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