9 qualities that make a good website

Your website is your online shopfront, the piece of the internet your business owns. It’s important for your business to have a good website as it helps convert clicks into customers, informs the uninformed, and represents what your brand is all about.

Usability is an essential part of a successful website. A user-friendly website performs well, helps lower the bounce rate, and can even boost your conversions dramatically. A visually appealing website is important, but equally important is the user experience: good usability is all about ensuring your visitors can find the information they’re after easily and quickly.

So what actually makes a website good? Here are 9 qualities that make a good website.

01. Ease of use and clear navigation

There’s nothing worse than getting lost on a website, especially when you’re on a mission to make a purchase or find an answer. Simplicity is key: clear menus and navigation mean less getting lost for the user, and they won’t feel the need to abandon your site for a competitor’s. Make sure all links and buttons work and go to the correct pages, and consider a search bar if your site is content-heavy.

02. Mobile responsive design

[Updated] With the majority of web traffic now happening on mobile devices, a responsive design isn’t optional, it’s the baseline. Your site needs to adapt cleanly to any screen size, and Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool is still the quickest way to check where you stand.

03. Accessible to all users

A user-friendly website is one that’s accessible to all types of users, including those who are disabled, blind, or elderly and rely on screen readers. Ensure your site can be navigated effortlessly with assistive technology.

04. Easy readability

Most people skim a page rather than reading every word. Format your content so visitors can scan the essential parts quickly, using headings, sub-headings, bullet lists, and short paragraphs to break up text.

05. Quick load time

[Updated, old benchmark removed] Nothing frustrates visitors more than a slow-loading site, and today’s expectations are far tighter than they used to be: aim for under 3 seconds, ideally closer to 1 to 2 on mobile. Load time also directly affects your search rankings via Google’s Core Web Vitals. If your site’s dragging, ask your web design agency to take a look; sometimes it’s fixable, sometimes it’s a sign a rebuild is overdue.

06. SEO-friendly foundations

Your website must leverage the power of SEO. A site that’s weak on SEO won’t have visibility, no matter how good it looks. That means no dead links resulting in 404 errors, sparing use of anything that’s hard for search crawlers to read, and content that’s kept fresh and updated regularly.

07. A clear purpose

What is the purpose of your website? To sell products, generate leads, or inform and educate? A clear purpose means your site can be designed to nurture visitors toward that goal, moving them along their customer journey rather than leaving them to figure it out themselves.

08. User-friendly forms

Forms are a critical part of a business website. They’re how visitors interact with you and how you generate leads. Keep fields to a bare minimum, use clear labels, and avoid asking for more personal information than you need.

09. Secure

Make sure your website software and plugins are kept up to date, and that any page collecting visitor information, even a simple contact form, uses SSL encryption and spam protection.

In conclusion

A good website comes down to a handful of things working together: it’s easy to use, well-designed, purposeful, and trustworthy. These are qualities that make a good website. Get those right and you’ll have a site that instils trust in your brand, keeps visitors engaged, and boosts conversions.

Looking to build a new website? Contact Digital Developments today.