Google reveals web design tips

An expert from Google has revealed a series of design tips for maximising the chances of a website’s success.

When designing a website, the key aspect is to focus on the needs of the consumer, according to user experience researcher Ricardo Prada, writing for Google’s AdSense blog.

“Think about tasks on your website first and layouts second,” he stressed, meaning that a fancy layout is no good if it does not enhance the user experience.

Website owners should always bear in mind the “specific goals” of visitors to their site and “design to make those tasks quick and efficient”, Mr Prada added.

Other top tips from the expert include only deploying search engine optimisation methods that benefit the user and ensuring that any adverts “complement your site, not distract from it”.

Meanwhile, an expert has warned that although online retail has been performing strongly, it is not enough to offset the losses experienced in retail as a whole.

Richard Dodd of the British Retail Consortium pointed out that the vast majority of retail sales still occur on the high street, which has been experiencing very challenging conditions over recent months.