Every website looks different and has a different purpose all because of decisions that were made during its inception. Here are five big ones that you may not even think about, but can have a huge impact on how your site looks and the message it gets across:

1. The font

There are many styles of font out there, and picking one that is easy to read while still being stylish can be a tall order. For eg. you can take a look at the home page of this site. Make sure to peruse other sites and see if you like the style, size, and spacing of the font. Take notes on what you like and why and let your web designer know your preferences.

2. Adding a blog

Adding a blog to a site is a great way to help with your SEO and impart more information to your readers. The only important decision to make here is if you’re going to put in the time and effort to upkeep the blog. If you know yourself and you know that blog will be updated only a few times a year, it might be best to leave it be.

3. Picking a header

This is another design decision that can really impact the feel of a site. Some headers are huge and take up most of the above the fold action. Other headers are quite small and let the content and graphics do the talking. Whatever header design you prefer, make sure it is branded correctly as it’s the face of your site.

4. Including social media

This is another decision that rests on your ability to upkeep your social media platforms. Having the links makes you look current, until visitors click on them and see they are never updated.

5. The navigation

Deciding what tabs are most visible will help visitors understand what you offer and what they can learn from visiting your site. Some websites choose to have only a few tabs on the top — the most relevant and important ones — and keep less necessary tabs on the bottom, in the footer. Others choose to have everything uptop. Take a look at other websites and see what you like the best . These are only a few of the important decisions you will need to make when it comes to website design, but knowing what you like and what suits your business the best will have you end up with a better site overall.