Web Design Best Practices: Think of Your Website as a High-Street Shop Window
If you run a physical shop on a busy high street, you’d never ignore your window display, right? You’d keep it clean, inviting and focused on what actually sells.
Your website works exactly the same way.
In this guide to web design best practices, we’ll look at your site as a digital shop window. We’ll walk through what makes people stop, look, come in and – most importantly – buy. No jargon, no fluff, just practical tips you can use (or hand to your web designer) today.
1. First Impressions: Your Above-the-Fold “Shop Window”
When someone lands on your homepage, they see the top section before they scroll. That’s your shop window.
If that area is messy, vague or slow to load, they’ll walk on by (aka hit the back button).
Best practices for your above-the-fold area
Treat it like your most valuable display space:
- Clear headline – Say what you do and who you do it for in one sentence.
- Bad: “Welcome to Smith & Co”
- Better: “Accountants for growing trades businesses in Manchester”
- Strong subheading – Add a bit more detail or a key benefit.
- Obvious call-to-action (CTA) – A clear button like “Get a quote”, “Book a call” or “View our services”.
- One main focus – Don’t cram in every offer. Imagine one big product in your shop window, not a car boot sale.
If you’re unsure whether it’s clear, show it to a friend for 5 seconds, then ask: “What do we do and what should you do next?” If they can’t answer, your window needs work.
2. Navigation: The Aisles and Signage of Your Website
Once someone’s stepped inside, can they actually find what they need? Your navigation is the signage and aisles of your website.
Confusing navigation is like a supermarket with no signs. People give up.
Best practices for simple navigation
- Keep the main menu short – Aim for 5–7 top-level items.
- Use plain English labels:
- Use: Home, Services, About, Projects, Blog, Contact
- Avoid: Solutions, Insights, Synergies, Our Story (sounds fancy, confuses people)
- Add a Contact or Get a Quote button in the top right – people expect it there.
- Make the logo clickable to go back to the homepage.
Think of it this way: if someone’s in a rush and only has 30 seconds, could they get to what they need without thinking too hard?
3. Visual Hierarchy: What You Want People to Notice First
Walk past a good shop window and your eye is drawn to one main thing – a hero product, a big sign, or a clear offer. That’s visual hierarchy.
On your website, everything can’t be equally loud.
Best practices for layout and emphasis
Use size, colour and spacing to guide the eye:
- One main action per section – Each section should have a clear purpose and a logical next step.
- Headings that actually say something – Not just “Our Services” but “Websites that turn visitors into enquiries”.
- Consistent button styles – Primary buttons (your main actions) should look the same everywhere.
- Whitespace is your friend – Empty space lets important things stand out. Crowded layouts feel cheap and stressful.
Ask yourself: “If someone skim-reads this page in 10 seconds, what will they remember?” That’s your visual hierarchy in action.
4. Colour and Typography: Setting the Mood (Without Shouting)
Think of colour and fonts like the lighting and music in your shop. They set the mood before you say a word.
Best practices for colour
- Pick 1 main brand colour, 1 accent colour and 1 neutral (e.g. grey) – and stick to them.
- Use your main colour for buttons and key highlights.
- Check contrast – light grey text on white might look sleek on your designer’s big screen, but it’s unreadable on an older laptop.
Best practices for fonts
- Use no more than two fonts – one for headings, one for body text.
- Make body text 16px or larger – if people have to zoom, they won’t bother.
- Use short paragraphs and plenty of line spacing.
Remember: your goal isn’t to look “fancy”. Your goal is to be easy to read and easy to trust.
5. Page Speed: Don’t Make People Queue Outside
If your website loads slowly, it’s like customers standing outside your shop waiting for someone to unlock the door.
Most won’t wait. They’ll just go next door (your competitor).
Best practices for a faster website
- Compress your images – Huge photos are the number one speed killer.
- Use modern image formats (like WebP) where possible.
- Avoid too many fancy animations and pop-ups – they look clever, but they’re often just clutter.
- Choose a decent hosting provider – the cheapest option is usually slow.
You can test your speed with tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. If your site feels sluggish on your phone using mobile data, visitors will feel it too.
6. Mobile-First Design: Your Customers Are in the Street, Not at a Desk
Picture your ideal customer: are they sitting at a big monitor or checking your site on their phone between jobs, at the school gate or on the sofa?
For most SMEs, over half of traffic is mobile. So mobile isn’t an afterthought – it’s the main event.
Best practices for mobile-first design
- Design for small screens first, then scale up for desktop.
- Make buttons big enough for thumbs, not tiny mouse pointers.
- Avoid long, complicated forms – ask only what you really need.
- Check every page on your own phone, not just your laptop.
If your website feels fiddly or cramped on mobile, you’re effectively locking your doors to half your potential customers.
7. Content That Sells: Your 24/7 Salesperson’s Script
Your website is your 24/7 salesperson. Design gets people’s attention, but words do the selling.
Best practices for persuasive content
- Talk to your visitor, not about yourself.
- Instead of: “We were founded in 1998 and pride ourselves…”
- Try: “If you’re tired of unreliable plumbers who don’t turn up, here’s how we do things differently.”
- Focus on benefits, not features.
- Feature: “We use the latest boiler technology.”
- Benefit: “Your home heats up faster and your bills go down.”
- Use clear, friendly language – write like you speak to a good customer.
- Break up text with subheadings, bullet points and images.
A simple test: read your homepage out loud. If you’d never speak like that in real life, rewrite it.
8. Trust Signals: The Social Proof in Your Window
Imagine walking past a restaurant that’s empty versus one with happy customers and great reviews in the window. Which would you choose?
Your website needs the same kind of social proof.
Best practices for building trust
- Feature real testimonials with names, photos and – if possible – company names.
- Show logos of clients you’ve worked with (with permission).
- Include before-and-after photos or case studies.
- Make your contact details obvious – including a real address and phone number.
- Add any relevant accreditations or memberships.
Trust is especially important for SMEs – people want to know you’re real, reliable and not going to disappear after taking payment.
9. Accessibility: Making Sure Everyone Can Walk Through the Door
A great high-street shop has a wide doorway, ramps where needed and clear signage. Your website should be the same – accessible to everyone.
This isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about being decent and smart. Accessible sites are often easier for everyone to use.
Best practices for accessibility
- Use descriptive link text – not just “click here”, but “Download our price list”.
- Add alt text to images so screen readers can describe them.
- Avoid relying only on colour to show meaning (e.g. red = bad, green = good).
- Make sure text has good contrast against the background.
If you’d like a deeper dive, this links nicely into topics like user experience (UX) and inclusive design – both areas we help clients with at Los Webos.
10. Clear Next Steps: Don’t Let Visitors Wander Aimlessly
In a good shop, staff gently guide you: “Can I help you find anything?” or “The fitting rooms are just over there.”
Your website should do the same.
Best practices for calls-to-action
- Every page should have a clear next step.
- Use CTAs that match the visitor’s mindset, such as:
- “Get a free quote”
- “Book a 15-minute call”
- “Download our price guide”
- “See recent projects”
- Repeat your main CTA near the top and again near the bottom of longer pages.
Don’t be shy about asking for action. People appreciate clarity.
Bringing It All Together: Is Your Shop Window Working for You?
When you look at web design best practices through the lens of a high-street shop window, everything becomes clearer:
- First impressions matter
- People need simple signage
- The layout should guide their eye
- The experience should be quick, friendly and accessible
- Trust and clear next steps close the sale
If your current website feels more like a dusty back alley than a busy high street, it might be time for a refresh.
Need a hand turning browsers into buyers?
At Los Webos, we design and build websites for UK SMEs that don’t just look pretty – they actually bring in enquiries, bookings and sales.
We can help you:
- Review your existing site against these best practices
- Redesign your "shop window" to attract the right customers
- Improve speed, mobile experience and SEO so more people find you
If you’d like your website to work as hard as you do, get in touch with Los Webos for a friendly chat and a no-nonsense quote.
Your next best customer is already online. Let’s make sure your website is ready to welcome them in.