As we move further into the 21st century, we notice audience preferences change, different brands introducing themselves to the world, and evolving technology that allows us to speak to the world in a more relevant way. One of those ways is through the way we design our websites.
The majority of the world visits at least 7 different websites a day, on average, with the length of time spent on each website ranging from a few seconds to a few hours. So, what’s the difference? What makes one website stand apart from another? Below are some key things to keep in mind when improving your web design.
Keep It Simple Silly (K.I.S.S.)
People are constantly on the go these days. With work, family, friends, and the everyday tasks of life, there is seldom time to spend hours reading and navigating your way through a website. When presented with six paragraphs to read on the first page of a website, most of us would simply move on.
With that said, the trend toward an overly simplified home page is making a comeback. With a sentence or two to introduce the reason for the website and three buttons, at most, to help you navigate through the site, a modest introduction will quickly pull in the most time strapped client.
Involve the Senses
One of the first things you learn about in grade school is the five senses: taste, smell, touch, sight, and hearing. One of the first things you will learn in marketing is that the more of those senses that you involve, the easier it is to persuade a potential customer to buy your product. Make sure to include video presentations with working sound.
If you happen to be in the food industry, offer free tastings. If you are selling a particular clothing line, offer a way to feel the texture of the fabrics you use in your products. The more of your client’s senses you can involve in the exploration of your website, the better chance you have of selling your cause.
Pay Someone Else
In the end, some web designers are just more talented than others. If you just can’t seem to get the results from your site that you imagined you would, hire a marketing company to build the site for you. There is no shame in asking for help.
Whether you are trying to raise awareness for a crippling disease, bring attention to starving children in Ethiopia, or sell the latest technological miracle, a good marketing company will strive to learn what your company is about, work with you on the aesthetics of your site, and attempt to keep the cost amiable.
Our computers have opened up a whole new way to reach the world. Take the advantage to make that reach count.
