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In short: The website design principles that bring enquiries are: a clear message at the top of the page, mobile first, fast loading, readable typography, sufficient contrast and accessibility, trust signals, visible calls to action, short forms, proper multilingual structure and a consistent look. In a Nielsen Norman Group study, about 57% of viewing time went to the first screenful, so your value proposition must be visible immediately. Google research found that 53% of mobile visitors leave if a page takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Since 28 June 2025 the European Accessibility Act (EAA) has also applied in the EU, covering many online services and e-shops.
Good design is not about pretty pictures. It is a page where a visitor understands within seconds what you offer, trusts you and knows what to do next. Below are 10 website design principles based on usability research and our experience with company websites in Estonia. Each comes with a quick check you can run on your own site.
Why does website design affect the number of enquiries?
Jakob Nielsen wrote at Nielsen Norman Group that users often leave a page within 10–20 seconds and that a page has roughly 10 seconds to communicate its value. If visitors cannot answer “is this for me?” in that time, they go back to search and on to a competitor. Design is a sales tool: it decides whether the money you spend on ads and SEO turns into enquiries.
Principles 1–3: how do you make a good first impression?
1. Clarity above the fold
In Nielsen Norman Group’s 2018 eye-tracking study, 57% of viewing time was spent on the first screenful and 74% on the first two. The top of the page should say what you do, for whom, where, and what the next step is. “Bookkeeping for small businesses in Tallinn” says more than “Your success is our mission”.
Check: can a stranger tell what the company offers after 5 seconds?
2. Mobile first
Design for the phone screen first: one column, large buttons, a tappable phone number, a simple menu. Google indexes sites mainly based on their mobile version, so content hidden on mobile also loses out in search.
Check: can you send an enquiry on your phone with one thumb, without zooming?
3. Speed
According to Google’s 2016 study “The Need for Mobile Speed”, 53% of mobile visitors leave if a page does not load within 3 seconds. Google’s “good” Core Web Vitals thresholds are: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) up to 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint (INP) up to 200 ms and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) up to 0.1. In design terms: optimised images, fewer fonts and animations, and no heavy sliders in the hero section. For causes and costs, see why is my website slow.
Check: does PageSpeed Insights show green Core Web Vitals on mobile?
Principles 4–5: is the site readable for everyone?
4. Typography
Use one or two typefaces, body text of at least 16 px, line height of about 1.5 and a sensible line length (roughly 60–80 characters). A clear heading hierarchy (H2, H3) helps readers as well as Google and AI systems understand the structure of your content.
5. Contrast and accessibility
WCAG 2.2 requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Light grey text on white is one of the most common mistakes. Also: alt text on images, labels on form fields, a menu that works with a keyboard and a visible focus state. The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) has applied since 28 June 2025 and covers, among other things, e-commerce and many consumer-facing online services. Microenterprises providing services (fewer than 10 staff and turnover or balance sheet of up to EUR 2 million) are exempt from the service requirements, but accessible design brings more customers even where the law does not require it. Our website accessibility service can help you work out whether the requirements apply to your site.
Check: can you get through the whole page using only the Tab key?
Principles 6–8: how do you turn a visitor into an enquiry?
6. Trust signals
- Real people. Team photos and names, not stock-photo smiles.
- Proof. Completed work, client stories, your Google rating with the number of reviews.
- Company details. Registry code, address, phone; in Estonia, customers often look companies up in the e-Business Register.
- Clear pricing logic. If you cannot give an exact price, explain what it depends on.
7. Calls to action (CTA)
Every page needs one main action: “Request a quote”, “Book a time”, “Call us”. The button should stand out from the rest of the design and repeat at the end of long pages. Specific text (“Send your enquiry, we reply within one working day”) beats “Next”.
8. Forms
Ask only for what you need: name, contact details and a message. Every extra field is a reason to give up. Mark required fields, show errors next to the field rather than at the top of the page, and confirm submission with a clear message. Track form submissions as a key event in GA4.
Principles 9–10: how do you keep the site coherent?
9. Multilingual design (ET/RU/EN)
Many Estonian businesses serve customers in Estonian, Russian and English. Good multilingual design means a visible language switcher, a separate URL for each language, translated buttons, forms, error messages and metadata, and hreflang tags. Russian text is often longer than Estonian, so the layout must leave room for it.
10. Consistency
The same colours, button styles, spacing and icons on every page. Users learn the interface on the first page and expect it to work the same way elsewhere. A simple design system (colours, fonts, components) also makes later changes cheaper.
Website design principles in practice: what do good and bad look like?
| Area | Good | Bad |
|---|---|---|
| Above the fold | Clear headline: service, audience, location + button | Generic slogan and a rotating slider |
| Mobile | One column, tappable phone number, large buttons | A shrunken copy of the desktop layout |
| Speed | LCP up to 2.5 s, optimised images | Background video and 5 MB images |
| Text | 16 px+, contrast of at least 4.5:1 | Small light grey text |
| Trust | Real work, reviews, company details | Stock photos, contact form as the only contact |
| Call to action | One clear main action | Five equal buttons or none at all |
| Form | 3–4 fields, clear error messages | 10 required fields |
| Languages | Separate URLs and full translation | Automatic translation plugin |
| Accessibility | Alt text, labels, keyboard-friendly | Text inside images, invisible focus |
How IT Solutions Group can help
We have built websites and WordPress solutions in Tallinn since 2016 and completed more than 100 projects in Estonia, Finland and elsewhere in the EU. Our website development work follows exactly these principles: mobile first, speed, accessibility and a correct Estonian, Russian and English structure. For an existing site, we start with an audit to see what is holding enquiries back.
Further reading: Why is my website slow? 10 causes, What to prepare before ordering a website and Digital marketing for small business.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important website design principle?
Clarity: on the first screen, visitors must understand what you offer, to whom, and what the next step is. Nielsen Norman Group found that around 57% of viewing time is spent in this area.
How fast should a website load?
Google’s Core Web Vitals rate an LCP of up to 2.5 seconds as good. Google research found that 53% of mobile visitors leave if a page takes longer than 3 seconds.
Does the European Accessibility Act apply to my website?
Since 28 June 2025 the EAA applies mainly to e-commerce and certain consumer services. Microenterprises providing services are exempt, but the exact answer depends on your sector and what your site does.
What text contrast is required?
Under WCAG 2.2, at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. You can check contrast for free, for example with your browser’s developer tools.
Does a multilingual website need a separate design?
No, but the layout must handle texts of different lengths and each language needs its own URL. Buttons, forms and error messages must be translated too.
Sources
- Nielsen Norman Group – Scrolling and Attention (15 Apr 2018)
- Nielsen Norman Group – How Long Do Users Stay on Web Pages? (11 Sep 2011)
- Marketing Dive – Google: 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take over 3 seconds to load (12 Sep 2016)
- web.dev (Google) – Web Vitals (updated 31 Oct 2024)
- W3C WAI – Understanding Success Criterion 1.4.3: Contrast (Minimum)
- EUR-Lex – Directive (EU) 2019/882 on the accessibility requirements for products and services (17 Apr 2019)
