Five top tips for designing a standout website

Your website shapes customers’ first impressions and is central to your brand. At Sink or Swim Marketing, we build standout websites for businesses in the Golden Plains, Surfcoast and Geelong regions. Here are our top five tips for effective websites, plus examples from recent projects. For more, download our free website checklist.

1. Keep your design clean and simple

A cluttered website can overwhelm visitors and drive them away. Opt for a clean, easy-to-navigate layout that highlights key information. Take sweetsfortilly.com.au, for example. This website uses a cheerful and straightforward design that reflects the brand’s sweet and heartfelt origins while ensuring users can find everything they need quickly and easily.

2. Optimise for mobile users

With more than half of website traffic coming from mobile devices, it’s critical to ensure that your website works well across all screen sizes. At Sink or Swim Marketing, we ensure all the sites we build, like matthewfarmer.com.au, are fully responsive. This means they look great whether you’re on a phone, tablet or desktop.

3. Prioritise user experience

Your website should be intuitive and easy to use. Everything from the menu structure to the placement of buttons should make sense to your audience. For Bannockburn News, we focused on creating a website that engages the local community. Its layout is user-friendly, allowing readers to access news updates and community stories without hassle.

4. Use engaging and professional visuals

High-quality images, videos and graphics can make a world of difference in catching a visitor’s eye. Investing in professional visuals ensures your brand looks polished and trustworthy. Each of our recent projects showcases this, from the vibrant charm of Sweets for Tilly to the clean and community look of Bannockburn News’ homepage.

5. Build for performance and SEO

A website that loads quickly and is optimised for search engines is essential for attracting traffic and keeping users engaged. At Sink or Swim Marketing, we take both into account for every project. Our websites are designed to load fast and rank well while telling each client’s unique story.

Why choose Sink or Swim Marketing?

Our team doesn’t just build websites; we create solutions tailored to your business goals. From sleek, user-friendly designs to strategic digital marketing, we empower businesses to thrive online. Our recent work with Sweets for Tilly, Matthew Farmer and Bannockburn News is proof of our expertise. Whether you’re in the Golden Plains, Surfcoast, or Geelong region, we’re here to help your business succeed.


If you’re ready to take your website to the next level, contact Sink or Swim Marketing today.