Dotcom Design
18 Mar,2020
Just as with other areas of marketing, there’s a certain kind of psychology that goes into web design. Many companies don’t use this as effectively as they should. They choose to design websites the way they like, rather than looking into what actually works to help market a product.
The psychology behind web design is far more important than most business owners realize. While your personal style naturally factors into a website, there are a few key points that users look for before they even start browsing. Here’s a shortlist of key items that a potential customer will notice about your website, consciously or otherwise.
- Is the website safe?
- What emotions does the color scheme invoke?
- Does the website make them feel welcome?
- Are there clear and appropriate choices available?
All of these are decided upon and factored into a viewer’s opinion of your site within seconds. The details that subconsciously matter to every viewer can be summarized as follows:
- The Color Scheme
- The Attitude
- The Composition
The Website’s Color Scheme
We could go on for pages and pages on the fascinating topic of color psychology. But for the sake of brevity, let’s quickly break down the importance of your website’s color palette. We’ll also offer some simple dos-and-don’ts.
Branding: Your brand likely has a color scheme to it already, and it is important to use this in your web design. Don’t have a color scheme for your brand? Start brainstorming now! Pick one or two colors that go well together.
Industry: You might be are in IT, retail, green business, and some other branch of industry. This affects what color palette you choose for your website. Blue colors, for example, are said to go well with IT companies. Earthy colors, on the other hand, are a great fit for eco-friendly businesses.
Competition: Analyzing your competition is essential to making sure you get the best color scheme possible. You can follow their lead, or you can opt for a subtle variation of their color scheme. It’s usually a good idea to branch out and set yourself apart from the pack, creating your own unique pallet. Competition analysis can get a little touch and go, so be careful with this one.
The Website’s Attitude
In business, life, relationships, you name it – attitude is everything. Your website is no different. Deciding on what type of attitude your website will project is crucial. So ask yourself, what attitude does our company have? How are we viewed by the clientele?
This should be the driving factor in finding the right web design for a company. One of the most disastrous things that a company can do is use an attitude that doesn’t fit with their target audience. That said, you can go a little off-brand if you need something to really stand out.
Voice: This is the language and tone of your website, content, and call to action.
Branding: Colors, images, and styles all need to be in harmony with your specific brand.
Values: What are your company’s core values? Make sure that your web design matches them.
Composition and Web Design
One of the most overlooked areas of web design, a website’s composition can make a huge difference. In fact, the way you arrange your information is impactful simply because your viewers will not act on what they don’t see.
Contrast: Use color contrast appropriately. For example, light elements on dark backgrounds can really capture a user’s attention.
Spatial Arrangement: Use different rules such as leading lines, rule of thirds, and foreground/background to direct the viewer’s gaze where you want it to go.
Balance: Our brains love balance, so balancing symmetry with asymmetry can help in directing attention. When used correctly, you can set something slightly off balance to draw attention to it. Just make sure not to overuse this element.
Obviously, there are many more elements that go into the business of web design. Creating an appealing, user-friendly website that keeps visitors engaged can be difficult. The right web developers, however, can simplify it greatly by leveraging their experience. Web design is considered one of the most important marketing tools a modern company can have. We urge you, don’t take this subject lightly, and make sure you find the right people to work with.