You are at the bookstore and you choose to buy a book off of the shelf. Why? Most likely it was due to the content - you want to learn about the subject the book is about, but what made you pick up the book in the first place? It was likely the cover, right? The art on the front and spine, the font used. All of those design components pulled you in enough to pick it up and then consume the content.
A website is no different. You might have great content but if it doesn’t attract a potential customer to “pull it down off of the shelf” they will never know what it is you are offering.
This post will look at design principles and elements that are most effective in enticing users' interests and keeping them engaged.
Design Elements That Affect Views And Traffic Rate
Even though everyone is dealing with a limited amount of space, there are still many ways to design an appealing website. Let's look at some critical elements that can make a big difference in your site's overall performance.
Color scheme
When choosing the color scheme for your website, choose a two- or three-color palette. A page with too many colors looks cluttered and unfocused, making it seem poorly designed. Choose a palette that compliments the purpose of your website.
Avoid using fancy, complex color schemes: stick to simple combinations like black, white, and red. This combination is timeless and will give your site a modern, elegant feel.
Font
A simple font used throughout your website can make the design look refined. The font should be easy to read, too. Avoid using decorative fonts that make the text difficult to read and fonts that are too large or small. Remember, everyone is looking at websites on their phones so the font must be legible in a small size and spacing.
Layout
A colorful layout can help catch visitors' attention, but you also need to make it easy to navigate. A cluttered layout that is difficult to decipher can deter visitors from staying on your website for long.
Also, make sure that your page breaks don't confuse visitors or make it hard to find what they are looking for. Layout is also important when considering how you want to communicate your content - think of pages like funnels, they offer some information then a call to action. If the user doesn’t bite, offer more supporting information below and another call to action, and so on.
Background
The background of your website should complement the color scheme you've chosen. Avoid using or selecting a background image with busy patterns or too much activity, as this can make the site look cluttered.
Images
Choose a single image representing your brand and place it in a prominent spot on your website. It can be a logo or a company photo. Whatever you choose, make sure it fits your brand. Stock photography is totally okay to use (as long as you have the rights and it looks credible and matches your brand). We’re all used to seeing stock images so make sure if you use it you pick a meaningful image. Depending on the business you run, any photos you can get of you and the work you do will be far more impactful to potential customers. If you can afford it, hire a professional, you can use the content in all of your marketing materials.
Site Speed
A website with a slow loading time can be considered unattractive by most users. Websites usually run slow due to images not being optimized for the web or scripts running in the background.
Mobile-Friendly
I’ll keep beating this dead horse until I see less sites that aren’t optimized for mobile (the other day I noticed CNN had messed something up on their mobile site causing it to scroll sideways…). More and more users prefer using a mobile device to access the web. So, if you haven't done so already, it is essential to make your website mobile-friendly. You can do this by using responsive web design.
Having a mobile-friendly website can boost your rankings in Google and other search engines and make it easier for users to access your content.
Social Media Integration
Social media can be an excellent platform for content sharing. Therefore, you need to integrate social media buttons on your website. Include a Like or Follow button on your site, as well as a sign-up button for your newsletter. Users who stay on your site for a long time will be more likely to share it on their social media platforms.
Conclusion
While it is essential to use the right tools for web design and content, it is also vital that you pay attention to how your website looks. Make sure that your website is user-friendly and find a designer to create a unique design using the elements mentioned in this post.
Come to Torch Digital Labs if you require business solutions to make your company more successful! We partner with small and medium-sized businesses to create achievable digital strategies to meet their goals.
