In today’s online economy, your website may very well be considered your digital storefront. As consumers scour the world wide web looking for products and services, they are essentially “window shopping,” making subconscious decisions based on what they see and experience. And a sloppy first impression could cause a would-be consumer to move on to the next business.
That’s why it’s important to think about how your brand or business looks on the web. Is your messaging clear? Do your colors match? Do people feel comfortable and welcome? Just like a physical storefront, a user’s experience could be the deciding factor between a casual passer-by and a paying customer.
So, if you’re looking for some ways to spruce up your website, check out the list below, and make your digital storefront clean, consistent and most of all, ready for business.
High Quality Visuals
One of the easiest ways to start sprucing up your overall look is by adding high quality images throughout the site. Many websites offer free, beautiful stock images, so you can find the perfect shots even if you don’t have a professional photographer on your staff. Besides a home page slider, be sure you have at least one prominent photo on each page. Here are a few rules to follow:
- Images should all be roughly the same size. You don’t want a massive image on one page and a minuscule one on the next.
- Try to place images in roughly the same place on each page. When pictures jump from left to right from page to page, your overall look may seem inconsistent.
- Save your images for the web. Photos taken with a DSLR may be so large that your pages take too long to load, so use a photo editor like Pixlr to resize and crop them.
The Home Page
Your home page is by far the most important page of your website. It’s usually the first page someone will see, and if it’s not looking its best, you may as well close up shop. When users visit your home page they should feel at ease and informed. Some ways to do this are to:
- Provide Context: Give your visitors clear, textual content that describes your site and company. High quality imagery is great, but users also need textual clues as to who you are and what you do. This will help alleviate any confusion and make your visitors feel more comfortable.
- Add News: Your home page should appear fresh and be regularly updated. Populate your landing page with a few recent blog posts, a social media feed or a slider of recent news. But be sure to do this with care, as it can easily become messy or crowded with too much information. Just a blurb or two will work.
- Add a Call to Action: A simple button on your home page can go a long way in getting more clicks and interaction. Give your users an opportunity to “Learn More” or “Buy Now,” and help direct them to the pages they really want to get to on your site.
Consistent Design
One of the most common problems in poorly designed websites is an overall lack of consistency. Websites that use a wide variety of fonts, colors or layouts often feel messy and erratic and can make a user feel awkward. Your website should be clean and organized. You can do this by:
- Keeping it simple. When in doubt, use just one or two fonts and colors throughout your site. Less is more. Many sites, like Apple, simply stick with black and white and let their photos do the talking. Just please, never use Comic Sans.
- Fixing alignment. Generally, you should make sure all paragraphs are left-aligned. If your site is simple with few words, you can center content, but do this sparingly and with good reason.
Multimedia and Interaction
Nothing can help you communicate your message like video. In the days where visual, digital content is king, multimedia has the ability to evoke emotion like no other medium. High quality videos have the ability to show instead of tell. They provide context and information as much as they add personality and intrigue. Before users interact with your products or services, they will probably want to watch a well produced, informative video about it. Plus, video content invites users to spend more time on your site, which is exactly what your banner advertisers are looking for.
Interactive elements are also vital additions to your website. Adding a Google map, for example, is simple, and it has a huge return on investment. Other interactive features like quizzes or surveys can involve your customers and make them feel like active participants on your site, as opposed to passive visitors.
Get Personal
While most of your visitors want information about your products and services, you don’t have to be dull or two-dimensional about it. It’s one of the main reasons brick-and-mortar stores often have greeters at the front door. Users want to feel like they’re interacting with more than a computer, so find ways to connect with your readers and visitors. Here are a couple ways to do just that:
- About Us: Build out your About page a little bit. Be funny. Be witty. Humanize your site in a way that makes users feel like they’re hearing from a friend. Even a short video piece on your founder might add some character your site might be missing.
- Blog: By adding a casual, yet professional blog on your site, you can add personality to your previously stoic presence. Through blogging, you can build community and ask questions that will help your site seem more open and inviting.
As always, if you need any web services or a new site, check out our Work and Services pages. We’d love to help you bring your ideas to life!