[vc_row][vc_column][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Web Design Aesthetics” heading_tag=”h1″ spacer=”line_only” spacer_position=”bottom” line_height=”1″]Creating a site that’s easy on the eyes[/ultimate_heading][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Aesthetically pleasing design is the icing on the cake during an Orlando web design project. The aesthetics are going to be the first thing noticed by your visitor. Organization and colors, fonts and use of space initially catch the eye of a person visiting your site for the first time. Using those elements, you should to design for your target audience and drive the eye toward the most important parts of each page. Make it easy for your visitors to find what they are looking.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]
Important Website Design Aesthetic Elements
Brand
It seems like a no-brainer that your brand should be properly represented on your website but it can be more complicated than you think. Many businesses never take the time to develop a complete brand identity and even when they do, they have a hard time expressing it in the design of their site. Brand identity is also fluid, so it’s important to update your design periodically as your brand message evolves.
Your Message
Your message is not just who you are and what you do but why you do it. What makes your company different from anyone else offering a similar solution? Is that clearly communicated on the homepage of your site? If not, you may need to think about the way you have your information displayed.
Character
Now that we’ve discussed brand and message, each should be displayed with some character. Character is what makes you, you. If you’re a local business, serving a local market and you’re going to be face to face with your customers, add some pictures of your staff to your site. People will feel more comfortable seeing the people they will be working with. Having friendly faces represent your business instead of just a logo or stock photography can set you apart and creates a feeling of trust. People want to work with real people. Don’t be afraid to show a little personality as long as it aligns with your brand identity.
Social Media
There are two social media elements that should be added to your site. The first is just simple links to your social media profiles. This is best done with the icons for each platform. Which you display depends on the industry that you’re in. We recommend displaying the ones that you are most active on. The most appropriate place for these icons is in the footer or header of your site.
The other element is social media sharing capabilities. Somewhere within your content, people should be able to easily share parts of you site on their own social media profiles. When people share your content, you’re sending signals to search engines that what you have to say is important and people are interested.
Flow
The flow of your site is guided by menus, links, use of space and attention grabbing colors. If someone visits your site and lands on the homepage, can they easily find your contact information or a particular service page?
You can test the flow of your site by applying a traffic monitoring tool like Mouseflow. If you watch visitor recordings and see that they are not moving easily throughout the site and completing ROI generating actions, the flow of your site may need to be altered.
Colors
Colors play a very important role in the aesthetic makeup of a website. Colors break up white space, draw the eye to important messages, and create feeling. Blue, for example, is known to spark feelings of Integrity, Trust, Tranquility, Loyalty and Intelligence.
Fonts
The use of different fonts is something that often gets over looked in website design. If a template is being used to build a site, it usually comes with a selection of fonts to choose from but you can use just about anything. You’re going to want to make sure the font you’re using represents your brand message appropriately and is easy to read on any device. Clean and clear is the best way to go.
Balance
All of the above mentioned aesthetic elements need to be displayed with balance. Balance text with images, colors with white space, brand identity with service options. Balance is like having the right ratio of meat, cheese, condiments and bread when making a sandwich. It’s very important. Too much any one thing and no one wants to each the sandwich.
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Responsive Design
The aesthetics of your site need to be considered on any size screen or device. Responsive design is a must! Sometimes it even makes sense to turn off certain parts of your site when the screen size gets below certain dimensions if it can’t be easily seen. You also have the option of creating AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) content on your site which is specifically made for mobile viewers.
With all of these tips in your pocket you’re ready to build or redesign your website.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]