The Website Strategy School: Lesson 3 – Users Don’t Act Based on “Looks” Alone: The Fundamentals of Strategic Design

When creating a website, many people first focus on its visual design—what colors to use, the mood of the photos, font sizes, and layout. Undoubtedly, design plays a crucial role in shaping the first impression. However, from my experience as a freelance web and graphic designer in Australia, and now as a designer at AEDI in Kurashiki, Okayama, with over 20 years of website production experience, I can confidently say: “Appearance alone will not move users to act.”

Design that truly drives results is not just about being “beautiful” or “stylish.”
It’s about organizing information, structuring pages clearly, and designing user flows so that visitors can navigate your site effortlessly and achieve their goals. This is the essence of design—a strategic tool that enhances brand value, builds trust, and ultimately leads to action.

In Lesson 3, we will explore design from a strategic perspective, showing how it can go beyond decoration to actively contribute to business outcomes.
From “what you want to show” to “what users understand and feel”—together, we will delve into the core of effective design and how to apply it in practice.

When people think about website design, they often focus on visual aesthetics: colors, fonts, photos, and layout. While these elements are important for making a good first impression, experience shows that users don’t act based on appearance alone.

Truly effective design is not just about being “beautiful” or “stylish.” It starts by organizing information clearly so that users can find what they need without confusion. The structure of the pages, the flow between sections, and the placement of key messages and call-to-action buttons are what guide users toward meaningful actions.

Design is a strategic tool—it enhances your brand, builds trust, and ultimately drives results. A website that looks good but lacks clear structure or a thoughtful user flow may impress visitors briefly, but it will fail to achieve its purpose.

By understanding that design is more than decoration, you can start creating websites that are not only visually appealing but also effective in communicating value and guiding users toward action.

2-1. The Importance of Information Organization

Before you even consider colors or layouts, the first step is organizing your content. A website typically contains company information, services, pricing, case studies, FAQs, and contact forms. Without clear organization, users can feel lost and fail to find what they need.

Good design starts by asking: “Who needs which information, and in what order will it make the most sense?” For example:

• Present trust-building information first for new visitors
• Highlight key services or pricing so users can quickly understand your offerings
• Naturally guide users toward contact or inquiry options at the right time

Properly organized information sets the stage for both site structure and user flow, ensuring that your design will not just look good but also function effectively.

2-2. Site Structure: The Foundation of Strategic Design

Once your information is organized, the next step is structuring your site.
Site structure defines which information goes on which pages and in what order users will access it—it is the backbone of your website.

Key points:

1. Foundation for Information Organization

   • Clear structure ensures users can find what they need quickly and easily

2. Facilitates User Flow

   • Organized pages make it easy for users to navigate naturally

3. Maintains Brand Consistency

   • Consistent tone, design, and layout across pages strengthen trust and brand perception

Strategic design follows this logical order: Information Organization → Site Structure → User Flow → Visual Design. Designing your site in this sequence ensures that your visuals are not only attractive but also aligned with user needs and business goals.

2-3. User Flow: Guiding Users to Take Action

With your site structure in place, the next step is user flow design—creating a path that naturally guides users toward your desired actions.

Examples of effective user flows:

• Homepage → Services

  Make it easy for interested users to find detailed service information

• Service Pages → Case Studies

  Show results and customer stories to address doubts and build trust

• Final Step → Contact/Inquiry

  Position CTAs clearly so users can take action without confusion

User flow design is not about forcing users; it’s about supporting their journey naturally, helping them reach their goals efficiently.

2-4. Design Shapes Your Brand

Finally, design is the tool that visually expresses your brand.

Branding is more than a logo or color palette; it is the perception and trust users associate with your company. Your website is the frontline of your brand communication.

Key considerations:

• Colors and Fonts

  Choose combinations that communicate trust, professionalism, or excitement depending on your industry

• Images and Visuals

  Authentic photos of staff, services, or products convey reliability more effectively than stock images

• Consistency Across Pages

  Maintaining a unified style strengthens brand recognition and trust

Design is not just decoration—it is a strategic instrument to convey value, build trust, and guide user behavior.

Strategic design is most effective when approached methodically. Follow these three steps:

Step 1: Define Your Purpose

Clarify what you want users to do on your site and what value you want to communicate. A clear purpose guides your content, structure, user flow, and visual choices, ensuring design drives results.

Step 2: Understand Your Users

Define personas and understand users’ behaviors and needs. Knowing who your users are, what they are looking for, and in what context allows you to design user flows and visuals that resonate and encourage action.

Step 3: Strategically Arrange Content

Place text, images, and multimedia in a logical sequence. Highlight key messages and CTAs, and maintain brand consistency. Strategic placement ensures users understand your offerings and take the desired actions naturally.

By following these steps, your design becomes more than decoration—it becomes a powerful tool to achieve measurable outcomes.

Scenario 1: Low Inquiry Rates

Issue:

• Pages look attractive, but users don’t reach the contact form.

Cause:

• Poor structure and unclear user flow; key info is hard to find.

Solution:

• Streamline page hierarchy, clarify pathways to the contact page, highlight important info, unify branding.

Result:

• Increased inquiries and conversions.

Scenario 2: Promoting a New Product or Service

Issue:

• Users visit the product page but don’t purchase.

Cause:

• Value not clearly communicated; visuals and text are unstructured.

Solution:

• Arrange content to match user decision flow, use visuals to showcase value, maintain brand tone.

Result:

• Users understand the product quickly, improving purchase/registration rates.

Scenario 3: Rebranding for Trust

Issue:

• Old design reduces trust and fails to convey the brand effectively.

Solution:

• Refresh visual style, highlight achievements and testimonials, optimize user flow.

Result:

• Improved trust, longer site engagement, increased inquiries.

Website design is not just about looks. By organizing information, structuring pages, designing user flow, and applying thoughtful visuals, you create a website that guides users, strengthens your brand, and drives results.

The Website Strategy School delivers essential thinking and design principles for creating websites that drive real results. The series is designed for those who have just taken on website responsibilities, small business owners, sole proprietors, and marketing or PR staff. Even those with little experience in web or website management can learn with confidence.

This series focuses on the core concepts for achieving results: why you are creating the website, who it is for, and how to deliver it effectively. It also covers practical tips and strategies for managing and optimizing your website. Business owners, managers, and sole proprietors will learn how to design a website that fits their business or activities and connects directly to meaningful outcomes.

The content is based on my experience in web design and development. The methods presented are not the only correct ways—they are intended as a reference, so please feel free to read with a relaxed mindset.

Additionally, this series is written with the expectation that it will be periodically revised and expanded. The content may evolve over time, but the goal is to continuously improve and enrich it. We hope you will follow along with us on this journey.