Whether you think it’s fair or not, people will judge us the way we look. Same goes with business companies – they are judged based on the quality of their website. Web design is like packaging design for consumer goods. In most cases, people are more influenced by the “packaging.”
Because First Impressions Last
First impression lasts, and in the world of business, it is your job to take advantage of first impressions. A website design provides gives customers first impression about the brand and the company. If that website looks cluttered, outdated, disorganized, and simply unappealing, that obviously makes a poor first impression that can be difficult to change.
The design and placement of different elements on your site may take hours, days, or even weeks. But whether it works or not, that can be decided in an instant. The users’ first impression will determine if and how they continue to visit and interact your website, business, and brand. Obviously, a visually pleasing web design scheme will impress and retain users.
Visuals that grab attention are usually a strong image, or beautiful illustration, sharp contrast, nicely placed phrases and memorable wording.
There are actually eyetracking studies and information that helps web designers plan a wireframe to draw the attention of the users. Here are the common elements users looks at first:
- Graphic or main image (large or oversized)
- Logo
- Main navigation (gives an idea what the site contains)
- Written messages in large layering
- Contact information or website footer
Because You Are the Image You Portray
Clean, organized, and strong visuals put legitimacy to a website. These are the elements needed to establish trust for the website and the company it represents. This is particularly crucial for websites trying to convert a sale.
More often than not, users equate their experience from the website with the experience they likely to get with the business in person. You can look at it this way – if photos of food on your site don’t look appealing, then people will automatically assume it doesn’t taste good. Or, if you’re promoting an event, say like a concert, and you’re selling tickets on your site. Users must be able to find or buy easily, or they may think the live event is poorly organized and just skip it.
Obviously, disorganized website design shows a bad image for your brand, making people think that you don’t care or even believe in your business. This will lead users to think twice before making an interaction, or even cause them to shy away from you altogether.
Bottom Line
Users will most definitely make millions of different assumptions about your brand and company based on your website’s design. As business owners, we want or website to represent the quality and integrity of our brand and organization, thus, we need to make sure it sends out the right message.
If you are not sure on how to go about your web design, then the best thing you can do is to stick with the basics. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, rather, it must look organized, easy to understand, and pleasing to use. The best way to do is to hire a professional who doesn’t only have the skills and experience for web design, but a good understanding of the nature of your business.