Are you currently trying to build or update your website? Do you ever log into whatever platform you're using, and your eyes immediately glaze over in confusion?

You're not alone.

There's a reason why there's an entire profession devoted to designing websites: It's, like, really hard.

But hark! Help is here. We'd love to offer you some simple but important web design tips, even if you're totally not tech-savvy.

4 Web Design Tips for All the Non-Techie People

Let's cut through the clutter and get down to the brass tacks. Here's what non-tech savvy people need to know about building a solid website.

1. Make Everything Doable in as Few Clicks as Possible

You want your website to be as user-friendly as possible — but what does that even mean?

Think of it like this: What sort of actions do you want people visiting your site to take? Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? Read your blog? Purchase a product? Make a list of the most important things.

Then, you want to build your site so that people can accomplish these tasks in as few clicks as possible. Does it take four clicks for people to subscribe to your mailing list? See if you can cut that down to two.

The reason for this is simple: If you make website visitors work too hard for something, they won't. Period. Don't make them jump through too many hoops, or they'll just move on to your competitor.

2. Build it to Convert, Not Just to Look Pretty

Very often, when non-techie people are tasked with web design, they fixate only on the aesthetics of the site — understandably. Why wouldn't you want it to look nice? Pretty fonts, lots of color, music playing in the background...

Here's the thing, though: Your site doesn't exist merely to look pretty. It's a tool to grow your business. What are your biggest goals? Do you want to grow your email list? Then you need some sort of lead magnet front and center. Are you trying to sell your product online? Then you need to direct users to the product page.

So, yes, it's absolutely about making a website that's visually appealing. But first and foremost, it needs to get the job done. It's going to be about so much more than pretty fonts and fancy background music. (Side note: Don't have music auto-play on your site.)

3. Check it Out on Mobile

You don't need us to tell you that a lot of your traffic is going to come from mobile, but we will anyway.

A lot of your traffic is going to come from mobile. There. We said it.

These days, most content management systems make it pretty easy to create a website that's mobile-friendly. It'll either do it automatically, or there's typically a plugin you can use that'll make sure it's optimized for various device sizes.

But there's truly only one way to make sure your website is ready for mobile: Get on your smartphone and check it out.

Here are some things you want to be on the lookout for:

• Does the text readjust so it fits the smaller screen, or do you have to scroll sideways to read it?
• Do the images resize, or are they skewed/distorted?
• Are the buttons easy to click? Are any of them too close together?
• Is the main navigation easy to click on? Have you turned it into a hamburger menu, if needed?
• If you have any type of contact form on your site, does it resize and function properly?

Keep in mind one of the most important factors when people access the internet from their smartphones: convenience. It needs to be quick, easy, and seamless for your website visitors to get whatever they need.

4. Monitor Your Metrics

"But I'm not good with numbers!" you're saying. And we get it. Analytics can be mega confusing, especially for non-techie people.

You know what? There's no time like the present to learn!

You don't need to be an expert here. Even understanding the basics will give you a ton of valuable insight into how your web design is performing and what changes you can make.

For example, do you have a page that's getting a ton of traffic but isn't ultimately converting? There are a number of potential reasons, but you can start playing with elements of your web design, like where the CTA is, reducing the number of buttons on the page, and maybe tweaking the layout.

Is there another page that people land on and ultimately leave your site, without exploring any other pages? Something might be turning them off. Try adding in images or videos, or make the CTA more prominent.

On a related note, split testing is your best friend! Try having two versions of these pages and compare their performance over time. This will help you zero in on what works and what doesn't.

We want to reiterate that it's okay if you're not getting into the nitty-gritty. But you absolutely must have at least a basic understanding of your website analytics, because this will heavily influence your design. Knowing these numbers will help you improve over time and learn what really resonates with your audience.

Does this feel like a lot to take in? We get it. When it comes to building your website, it's usually best to leave it to the pros. That's where LSM comes in. Book a free consultation today!