Blog post by: Kevin Davis, Baer Performance Marketing Intern
BREAKING NEWS! Caught your attention? Maybe even got you to click the “Read More” link? Eye-catching graphics and ease of navigation throughout a website are what companies strive to achieve. This is because web design plays a significant role in user traffic patterns and interaction. Creating a website or updating a current one is a crucial step in attracting and appealing to a target market. And in today’s competitive marketplace, effectively communicating through web design can determine a company’s long-term success. To improve your website’s design, it’s important to keep these three elements in mind:
Presentation
Graphics, colors, and flow need to be considered when designing a website. A design that appeals to the eyes of your target customers will get more clicks. Web design also needs to set a scene or a mood for a customer. The mood should be the same they’d experience walking into your store or using your product for the first time. For example, a spa would likely want a website built with calming colors, peaceful imagery and a simple call-to-action encouraging visitors to relax, rejuvenate and escape.
Communication
All visitors, whether they stumble upon a link or access the website directly, navigate to your website with a purpose. They likely have questions about a product or service offered. Your company needs to communicate back to the visitors with quick and clear answers. The “3-click rule” is definitely something to keep in mind when designing a website. The rule suggests a visitor should only need 3 clicks to find what they are looking for. If a website is too complex or content heavy, the user will lose interest and most likely turn to a competitor’s website.
Consistency
It’s important to think of your website as an extension of your business. Many companies lose sight of their brand when designing a new site. With all of the creativity and options that can be incorporated into a design, it is easy to lose focus. A brand’s personality needs to be apparent in a site’s look and feel, photography, and written content, and the site needs to project a feeling or ideal your target market identifies with and already associates with your company.
Final Thoughts
Remember that web design is ultimately a “package” for a website’s content—and visitors have navigated to the site for its content, not its packaging. Websites should be built to have visual appeal, but a site’s success is determined by more than its look. The most effective websites allow visitors to quickly and easily navigate to the info they need to take action!