The KISS Principal (keep it simple stupid) is a principal which relates to simplifying systems. We are applying it to websites and discussing the 5 Things which need to be a priority for every website built in 2021 & beyond. While there are many things you do when developing websites, we are sticking to the KISS acronym and keeping it simple, focusing on just 5 main must-haves.
KISS, an acronym for keep it simple, stupid, is a design principle noted by the U.S. Navy in 1960. The KISS principle states that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than made complicated; therefore, simplicity should be a key goal in design, and unnecessary complexity should be avoided.
Without further ado, here are the 5 things all websites need to have in 2021 and beyond:
1: MOBILE FRIENDLY
You would think every site in the world is mobile friendly in 2021. But somehow that still is not the case. There are still thousands and thousands of websites across the globe which don’t look good on mobile devices. As over half the people viewing your website are on mobile devices, such as cell phones, iPads and other small devices, if your site is not responsively designed the people are getting a bad experience and probably will go elsewhere.
2: CLEAR, SIMPLE NAVIGATION
When we build a site for companies, one of the main things we focus on is the navigational flow of the website. Most small business sites, should have all their content reachable within a couple of clicks. I have reviewed sites where you have to get down five or six clicks to get to the content you’re looking for. People don’t have the time to go hunting for what they need. So make sure all your content is reachable within two or three clicks at the most. Read more about navigation menus in our post Drive Through Menus & Navigation Bars. Keeping your navigation menus simple and clear is a perfect way to comply with the Kiss Principle as the affects all your visitors.
3: CONSISTENT QUALITY CONTENT
One of the main reasons people come to RooSites is because they want to optimize their website or improve their search engine rankings. We always preach consistent quality content. If you want to do well with your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and improve your rankings you need to be adding good content which is also an answer to people’s search queries.
4: CLEAR CALL TO ACTION
OK, so you’ve gotten someone to come to your website. That’s great, and certainly the first thing you need in order to succeed. But, what do they do when they get to your site? You want them to act, and to do so you need a clear call to action. Whether you want them to make an appointment, buy a product, you have to make it easy. That may be something as simple as a well-placed button. Don’t make people search for a way to act. If they can’t find what they’re looking for, they will go to your competition. That’s a fact. I always make sure that one of the first things people see is a button which will take them where I want them to go. For me I want people to read about my company and I send them from my homepage to view my about page. I also have a call to action at the bottom of almost all my pages which takes them to a form. I know this works as I receive many clients this way.
5: https, NOT http
This is a relatively simple one, but somethings so many companies overlook. They build a nice website but then they don’t have a secure certificate (Indicated by the padlock in your browser 🔒 ). This is a security feature which indicates that a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate is present on your website’s hosting server. This encrypts data sent from your website. This used to be for just shopping sites but now usage is expected on EVERY website. Google introduced penalties in 2018 for insecure sites, marking them in searches as ‘Not Secure’ – this will scare away potential customers/clients!
Bottom Line
The Kiss Principal is meant to simplify things, so start with the must haves we discussed above. All these things are relatively simple to employ. If you are having trouble with any or all of these items, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We can get you squared away quickly and effectively.
If you need help with designing or managing your website, please contact us today!