You might need to look at some of the best web design examples before creating your own site or working with a web development service.
When building a website, both design and functionality play a crucial role in increasing user engagement. According to a literature review published in the Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, there are several characteristics of a well-designed website.
By understanding these characteristics, you’ll be able to identify the right design examples for your own website.
So, what are the characteristics of a good website design? Is it only about the user interface (UI)? What are some quality website design references? Find the answers below!
Table of Contents
Characteristics of Good and High-Quality Web Design
As briefly mentioned earlier, there are several key characteristics that define a high-quality website design.
By applying these principles when creating a website, whether with WordPress or other technologies, you can significantly improve your site’s performance. Here are some ways to evaluate a website’s quality through its design:
1. Clear Navigation
The first indicator of a quality website is clear navigation. Navigation helps visitors access different pages of your website with ease.
Some navigation elements to pay attention to include:
- Structure
- Labeling
- Placement
- Visual cues
- Breadcrumbs
- Search functionality
2. Appealing Visual Elements
According to a report by Top Design Firms (2021), images (40%) are the most impactful visual element on a website, followed by color (39%) and video (21%). That’s why a good website design should make optimal use of visual elements.
3. Well-Structured Layout
Another hallmark of good web design is an organized layout. A clean structure helps users understand content more easily.
Important layout aspects include the use of whitespace, clear content separation, and an easily understood visual hierarchy.
4. Content Utility
Content utility is also a vital part of good website design. Although it doesn’t directly relate to visual elements, designing a proper content strategy greatly influences a website’s performance.
Website content should be informative, relevant, and up-to-date. Technically, it should also be concise and clearly written with the target audience in mind.
5. Clear Purpose
One of the most defining aspects of good web design is having a clear purpose. This will influence what elements are created and displayed on the website.
For example, if you’re designing a landing page for a software product, it should include information about features, benefits, and a call-to-action (CTA) button for purchase. Other common website goals include:
- Branding
- Marketing/promotion
- Online transactions
- Providing information
- Building personal branding
6. Content Readability
Still related to content, the design of text must ensure readability. This includes using legible fonts, appropriate text sizes, and good color contrast.
Advanced websites also consider accessibility features, such as designing content to accommodate users with visual impairments (e.g., color blindness support).
7. Mobile Responsiveness
Another important factor in evaluating good web design is mobile responsiveness. A responsive website can adapt well to different screen sizes and devices, especially mobile devices.
By applying these principles in your web design, you’ll gain the full benefits of having an effective and user-friendly website. For a deeper understanding, check out some of the best web design examples that follow!
Top Web Design Inspirations
Once you understand how to design a website layout, the next step is to explore examples of the best web designs across various types, ranging from e-commerce sites, university websites, media platforms, travel portals, edtech platforms, to company profiles.
1. E-Commerce Web Design Examples
E-commerce websites are designed for selling products or services online. These sites should focus on user-friendly navigation, attractive product displays, simple checkout processes, and responsive design across devices.
You can create this type of website through professional marketplace website development services. One quality example is Polygonbikes.com.
- Common Features: Shopping cart, payment system, product catalog, customer reviews, and product search.
- Purpose: To sell products or services online.
- Technology: Platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce (for WordPress), or Magento. Technologies used may include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and backends like PHP or Ruby on Rails.
2. University Website Design Examples
This type of website provides information about a university, including academic programs, campus life, and student services. A simple yet high-quality example is Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM).
UGM’s website was developed using WordPress CMS, with an informative and well-organized layout that makes it easy to access key information such as admissions and academic departments.
If you’re planning to build a university website, consider partnering with university website development services that have proven experience.
- Common Features: Academic information, student portal, academic calendar, admission details, and a news/announcement section.
- Technology: CMS like Drupal, Joomla, WordPress, combined with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and backends like Python (Django) or PHP.
3. Media/Blog Website Design Examples
These websites focus on delivering news and content, including articles, opinions, and analysis. A good layout should support readability for long-form content, easy category navigation, and a mobile-responsive design.
Examples of well-designed media websites include pintartekno.id and Hello Sehat. Both use WordPress CMS due to its ease of SEO optimization.
4. Travel Website Design Examples
Travel websites offer information about tourist destinations, including guides, reviews, and travel bookings. They should feature inspiring images of destinations, helpful navigation for trip planning, and accessible content.
A standout example in this category is the website for Taman Wisata Candi (TWC).
5. Edutech Website Design Examples
These are online platforms offering learning resources and educational tools, often through interactive courses or digital learning materials. Design should support the learning experience through an intuitive course interface, easy-to-follow content display, and mobile responsiveness.
6. Company Profile Website Design Examples
Company profile websites present information about a business, its services, products, mission, and contact info. The design should be professional and aligned with the company’s branding, making it easy for users to access key information.
With a good understanding of what makes a strong company profile website, creating one becomes much easier.
By studying these examples, you’ll gain inspiration and practical insight for creating a visually compelling and high-functioning website tailored to your goals.
Have You Found the Best Website Design Examples?
That was an explanation of the characteristics of good website design along with several examples of high-quality web designs. If you are looking to hire a web design service, you can contact the Tonjoo team through the Tonjoo contact page.
This way, you can get a free consultation about how long it takes to build a website and the estimated website development cost.
Read related articles about WordPress, WooCommerce, plugins, and other website development topics by Moch. Nasikhun Amin on the Tonjoo’s blog.
Updated on April 10, 2025 by Moch. Nasikhun Amin
