6 Visual Design Principles That Increase User Engagement
Effective visual content does more than make a website “look nice”—it helps visitors feel oriented, confident, and emotionally connected to your brand. When design choices are intentional, users stay longer, explore more, and take action more often. Below are six visual design principles we love (and use often at AndiSites) to create websites that are […]
The Most Common Web Accessibility Mistakes We See — and How Public Institutions Can Avoid Them
Practical guidance for government and higher-education teams preparing for the April 2026 deadline As April 2026 approaches, we’re seeing more and more government agencies and colleges take accessibility seriously — and that’s something we genuinely appreciate. Accessibility has never been just a checkbox or a deadline for at AndiSites. It’s about making sure people can […]
Avoid Dead Ends: Website Redirects that Work
In the vast and rapidly evolving landscape of the internet, where attention spans are fleeting and competition is fierce, every click counts. Imagine a visitor arriving at your website, eager to explore or purchase, only to be met with a confusing dead-end or a jarring page transition. It’s the digital equivalent of slamming into a brick wall. This is where the often-overlooked art of website redirects comes into play, serving as a crucial bridge that guides users seamlessly through their online journey. Mastering this art not only enhances user experience but also safeguards your search engine rankings and ensures the integrity of your site’s data flow.
Picture this: you’ve just launched a sleek new design for your brand’s website, brimming with fresh content and optimized for speed. Yet, despite your efforts, traffic plummets and engagement dwindles. The culprit? Poorly executed redirects. This blog post will unravel the intricacies of website redirects, demystifying their technical complexities while highlighting their strategic importance. From understanding 301s to navigating temporary 302s, we’ll explore how to implement these digital signposts effectively, ensuring that your visitors not only find what they’re looking for but enjoy the smooth, uninterrupted experience they expect. As we journey through the nuances of seamless website redirects, you’ll gain the insights needed to transform potential pitfalls into pathways of opportunity.
Pros and Cons of Single Sign-On: Is It Right for You?
Imagine only needing to remember one username and password to access all your favorite enterprise applications. Sounds like a dream, right? Single Sign-On (SSO) was created to make that dream come true, consolidating logins to just a single set of sign-on credentials–log in one place, access them all. Enhanced security, streamlined user experience, and reduced […]
External Links Opening in the Same Tab: Redefining User Experience
Are you committed to the “rule” that internal links on your web pages should open in the same tab, but external links should open in a new tab? So were we….until recently. Read on to understand why–it might just blow your mind. Imagine you’re deeply engrossed in an article and click on an intriguing external […]
5 Principles of Visual Symphony in Website Design
If you know AndiSites, you know that we focus on creating websites in partnership with our clients that are functional and emotionally engaging–selecting and combining elements that work together to create an overall story (or, in the case of this article, “song”) that welcomes the user and compels them to take your desired actions. Whether […]
The Importance of Inclusive Language
The reasons for using inclusive language are becoming increasingly important in today’s society. In this article, we discuss what inclusive language means, and how it relates to SEO. What is Inclusive Language? According to the Linguistic Society of America (LSA), it is defined as: Language that acknowledges diversity, conveys respect to all people, is sensitive […]
Use GA4’s Engagement Metrics to Make Website Users Stay Longer
Google Analytics’ recent switch from Universal Analytics (UA) to GA4 added some neat new data, including all things engagement. Here’s how you can use the new GA4 engagement metrics to find out how long users are keeping your web pages in focus–and how to keep them there longer. What Engagement Metrics Are Google Analytics GA4’s engagement metrics […]
XML Sitemap vs Visual Sitemap: What’s the Difference?
Are you confused about the difference between an “XML sitemap” and a “visual sitemap”? Keep reading to discover the differences between these important website components. XML Sitemap vs Visual Sitemap The two main types of sitemaps are: XML Sitemap – a list of the URLs on your website used by search engines, normally put in […]
How to Create Anchor Links (AKA “Jump Links”) in WordPress
Here’s our guide on how to create anchor links in WordPress – also known as jump links. So what are anchor links? Have you seen on a web page that sometimes you click a link, and rather than taking you to another page, it jumps to further down on the same page? That’s an “anchor […]
Creating Solutions Beyond the Obvious: Ideation
So what is ideation? Read on to find out more! As proud members of the Interaction Design Foundation, we love creating online user experiences that are easy, intuitive, and engaging. Solutions aren’t one-size-fits-all, though, and creative thinking is an important part of the process. Website projects can be tricky. Budgets and timelines may be limited. Team […]
We Like Big Buttons and We Cannot Lie
A button is one of the easiest, most effective calls to action on a website. Bold and big buttons, prominently displayed and properly labeled, will help your users know at a glance where to click to get what they need. So how can you ensure that they convert visitors to customers? 6 Top Tips for Creating Successful […]
Making Your Website Speak to Actual Human Brains
Want to learn how to make your website speak so that real humans can interact with it? Here’s our thoughts and comments. How Does a Website Speak to a Human? We all talk about “user experience” and “user interaction” design, and here at AndiSites we’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to make a […]
Match your Website Design to your Target Audience
When designing a website, it’s vital to create a design that matches your target audience. Whether designing a website yourself or through an agency, it’s easy to get caught in the trap of trying to please ourselves (or our boss), and forget that a successful website needs human visitors who use it, enjoy it, and buy from […]
Elements of Successful UX Design
Here are our top tips for successful UX design. A website with good UX – User Experience – is vital for anyone visiting your site. What is UX Design? In simple terms, user experience is the satisfaction visitors get from your website. But beyond the surface, user experience is far more significant and can affect […]
Tips For Effective Navigation Design
Here’s our top tips for effective navigation design and why it is so important to both you and your website’s users. What is Navigation? Well, you could say that it’s the element of your website which allows your customers to find what they’re looking for, or you could say that it’s a way to lead […]
What is User Experience (UX), Really?
It’s no secret that we love Paul Boag and pattern ourselves after his UK company, Headscape. They are down-to-earth, passionate, and compassionate experts. Who (like AndiSites), believe in making the web world a better place and providing the best possible experience for clients. In a recent article, Paul expands on the concept of “user experience,” […]
The Basics of Good Information Architecture
What is Information Architecture (IA)? Information architecture is the roadmap of your website–the structure that makes it easy for people to find what they’re looking for. It includes: How content is organized and presented on the page How content is labeled and expressed in navigation (menus and dropdowns) How you lead users through the site via […]
How to Lower Bounce Rate and Keep Users on Your Site
Are you looking to lower bounce rate on your site? Find out how to do it and why it’s so important to keep users on your site. What is “Bounce Rate”? “Bounce Rate is the percentage of single-page sessions (i.e. sessions in which the person left your site from the entrance page without interacting with […]
Color Theory and UX Design
Do you know the color theory behind UX (User Experience) design? Here we discuss the different color meanings and when they are used. What is Color Theory? When you paint a room in your house, you may think about how the color you choose will affect the mood or lighting in that room. You might […]