The worldwide web is a mix of good, great, bad, and downright ugly.

How often have you visited a website and left within seconds based on the way the site looks? The design? The overall look and feel? Images that are slow to load, a clutter of information that fails to deliver answers or a clear message, or a dated design all contribute to visitors losing confidence and exiting your website long before you hook them as a voter, consumer, or constituent.

Here are our Top 5 Tips for a Memorable (and Successful) Website:

1. R-e-s-p-o-n-d: Respect the Mobile Device
It wasn’t long ago that 91% of small business websites weren’t optimized for mobile traffic. Ignore mobile and you’re ignoring a large percentage of web traffic. October 2016 marked the first time that mobile web traffic surpassed desktop traffic, with over 51% visiting websites via their mobile devices. A successful website will be responsive, meaning it is built to display based on the visitor’s device, from smartphone to tablet to laptop to desktop and all the individual devices and browsers within each.

2. The Eyes Have It: The Importance of Visuals
Our attention span is a mere eight seconds, one second shorter than a goldfish’s. You better have a website that hooks a visitor and their attention that fast or they’ll be long gone. That’s where the visuals come into play. As visual learners (remember, visual information accounts for 90% of what is transmitted to our brains), images, infographics, and videos can be powerful tools. Did you know that 73% of people reported that video persuaded them to make a purchase of a product or service? That’s why visuals are so important to your website’s success.

3. On Guard: Creating a Secure Site
Have you ever been reluctant to make a purchase from your mobile device? Many are, but mobile purchases are climbing and half of all mobile users report making a large transaction via their devices. A secure website will give people the confidence to complete a purchase or make a donation.

4. Clean Sweep: Avoid Clutter
It can be tempting to try to tell a visitor everything about you or your brand the moment they land on your website. Resist that temptation and allow your story to build throughout your site. Don’t try to do too much at once. Keep it clean and easy for the user’s eyes to navigate. Clear and concise will always win over clutter and confusion.

5. Be Bold: Simple Doesn’t Have to be Boring
Don’t be afraid to take risks. You need to stand out and be memorable. That could come via the colors, the design, or the development of your site. Sometimes it’s small elements, like the positioning of text, the favicon, or an image that divides sections. Sometimes it’s bigger, via video or GIF to create movement on your site. Sometimes it’s color, via an unexpected pop of brightness. Details are important and contribute to the user’s experience, leading their eyes from one element to the next.

Learn More About #WebDesign and Digital Advertising:

Be Smart About Mobile Advertising: How to Build a Mobile-Friendly Landing Page

A Banner Day: The Value of Banner Ads