How to make your web design memorable…
Whether you’re a traditional business updating your online presence or a brand new e-commerce start-up, one of the most important things to put into the web design process is your brand’s personality. Don’t go for generic designs and dull cautious aesthetics – be bold and make your online space your own.
Giving your website a distinctive personality has a number of benefits:
- It’s memorable
- It’s intriguing
- It helps to distinguish you from your competitors
- It can give your site and business a ‘fresh’ feel
- It will help build a lasting relationship between you and your customers
In a nutshell, it will give your website an identity to set it apart from the millions of other websites out there. So what can you do to inject personality into your web design?
Use branded colours
The colour scheme of your website can have a substantial impact on how your business is perceived online. Think carefully not just about which colours match each other, but also which combinations infer the image that you’re trying to convey. While some combinations might suggest that you’re at the cutting edge of your field, others may emphasise your green credentials, and so on.
Don’t be afraid to deviate from the norm
Deviating from the norm doesn’t necessarily mean departing from what has been proved to work. It might just mean taking a different approach to the tried and tested. A simple, clear navigation system is for instance essential, but does it have to be positioned in a linear line across the top or the side of the screen? Is there a quirky yet equally useable way of doing it?
Use original images and designs
People know stock images when they see them (the young woman with the headset and the startlingly white teeth; the slick businessman with the immaculate hair). If you want to create a distinctive personality, use your own ideas and materials, but make sure they’re professional standard. Avoid those duck-face ‘selfies’!
Install a favicon
You know those little pictures that appear in the web address bar on certain websites or on your bookmarks? Those are favicons. They’re a simple way of extending your branding a little further.
Be consistent
Building an online personality that people remember is all about consistency. Use the same colour schemes, logos, layout styles etc. in all of your online promotional activities.
