Making a memorable website that users came back to again and again was once an easy task, for not a lot of businesses had their services online back then. Even if your website’s design was not exactly amazing, the fact that you had a website gave you an edge over competitors. Nowadays, there are millions of websites competing for the attention of users, all of them designed beautifully, with optimised performance for both desktop and mobile, and because of this none of them really stand out. How do you leave a lasting impression on your customers with your website?
Make a good first impression
The first time a visitor clicks on your website is the most crucial moment for you. You have to captivate them with the very first elements that they see on your website because this will help form their opinion of your website and company as a whole and will also determine if they will stick around to look at your other pages. Firstly, the main image of your website has to be strong and clear—if you are selling a product, tell a story of why the product would benefit the viewer in one photograph. Next, if you want the user to explore other parts of your website, make it easy for them to do so: a clean navigation menu on the left or on the top, with the important pages appearing first on the list, or buttons within the main graphic inviting the viewer to visit a particular page.
Balance colours and contrasts
It might be tempting to use striking colours and contrasts to make the website visually appealing and memorable, but it will cause your website to be remembered in the wrong ways. A lack of colour, on the other hand, ensures that your website is quickly forgotten. One way to achieve a balance is to use a subtle, dark colour throughout with small, thoughtful bits of contrast here and there—think of a singular red carpet in a dark room. Use the contrast for the product you want to highlight, but make sure that everything else is meaningfully designed as well.
Fast loading time
Bounce rates, or the rate at which the visitor leaves the website immediately upon landing, are usually high with websites that load very slowly. Time is scarce especially nowadays, and most people would rather read another website than wait for one to load. If your website does not load within 5 seconds, at least 50% of your potential readers will bounce, so time the loading of your website across different browsers and devices and see where it can improve. A faster server, reduced image sizes, fewer scripts, and optimisation for different browsers are just a few things you can do to help speed up your website.
There are plenty of small tweaks you can do on your website that you can also learn through experience. As the Internet keeps changing, so do the rules – and there are times when it’s best to leave managing your website to experts in web design in Oxford.
