Building a website is no walk in the park. There are so many moving parts that need to fall together- from the layout and typeface to colors and images.
To make it more difficult, the window of opportunity to capture imagination closes fast. Merely making your content look good does not really suffice, so what can you hold on to?
Well, regardless of specifics like demographics, your target audience is all human, at least for now. Their actions are profoundly shaped by psychology and science has brought its fine workings to light.
Moreover, modern designers have come up with a variety of solutions that play right into the psychology of users.
1] Get down to the brass tacks
If you mean to strike a chord with the audience, it is time to get back to the very basics of human nature and psychology. Start by doing a thorough consumer research. Develop a deeper understanding of how visitors interact with the interface and navigate your pages.
You have to give people what they want (product, information, reassurance, answers) and also take them on an emotional journey, make them feel something.
To streamline decision-making and work processes, know what you want to achieve. You can also choose to commit to one design style. The best shot you have these days is minimalism. It echoes “less is more” philosophy, which is proven to reduce eye strain and mental stress, while at the same time enhancing user experience.
This is a great tactic to account for the fact that average attention spans have dipped considerably over the course of the last two decades.
2] The big picture
Going with one style should help you work out a design roadmap. Should you struggle to generate initial ideas and concepts, hire some of the best website design agencies money can buy. Once you settle on the general direction, start fleshing out your pages by figuring out the suitable layout. In a nutshell, this aspect of design should guide users’ attention towards what is important and relevant to them.
Note that our brain is good and detecting patterns and it injects us with feel-good hormones upon their discovery. Take advantage of one inclination that a vast majority of people has- to scan pages in a Z shape.
In other words, vital information should be shown in the top left, middle, and bottom right section of the page. You could put your contact information there and give an impression that you are real, approachable, and legitimate business.
3] Content and beyond
Furthermore, when crafting content, do not confront users with huge, dense blocks of text. Use negative space and visual breaks to keep things interesting and easy to digest. Ensure that the navigation is intuitive and make the most of images: they are paramount to inducing clicks and conversions.
A human brain can process such visual information in a matter of a few milliseconds, way faster than text. In general, images that describe content well boost engagement rates.
Scientists also agree that brain is hardwired to respond faces of people showing complex emotions. Indeed, evoking strong emotions with content is a surefire strategy to sway people to your side and drive social signals. Just bear in mind that positive emotions are much more contagious and predictable than negative sentiments.
Thus, learn how to offer positive reinforcements and prompt visitors to behave in a certain way with the help of various rewards and incentives.
4] Colors and Typefaces
Next, it is time to use colors to your maximum advantage. Namely, every color choice should have a solid reasoning behind it, be it brand identity or color psychology. You probably know your brand backwards and forwards, so focus on grasping the meaning and nature of colors.
Blue, for example, is admired across genders and is synonymous with trust, loyalty, and tranquility. Many social networks and financial institution have embraced it as a crown jewel of their visual identity.
But, of course, you cannot slap one color everywhere. Add more splendors to the mix. Green goes well with blue and white palette and it is widely used for utility staples like buttons.
On the other hand, yellow oozes hastiness and many businesses utilize it to highlight their special offers. Black is perceived as a sign of sophistication, seriousness, and luxury. It is often associated with upselling products.
One final design tool you have to keep a close eye on comes in the form of typefaces. They help us set the tone for the body of text on the page. Hence, they must not be an afterthought. The Serif Font has gained traction as of the most prominent fonts.
It gives away the sense of authority and importance and that is why so many news outlets and legal consultancy firms use it. But, rest assured there are no one-size-fits-all solutions here.
Do what makes sense for your brand, offerings, and businesses values.
The Fortune 500 brands know about color psychology and which colors will make their brand succeed. If you want to see what they’ve chosen for a little insight, check out this handy new color palette tool by Bold Web Design. It shows their primary colors, as well as their secondary color palette. These colors are found in their logo, as well as their brand style guide and website.
5] Put the best face forward
To rise above the competition and cut through the immense online noise, modern designers turn to psychology for guidance and inspiration.
And for good reasons too- it is a force to be reckoned with, but also one that can be tamed and directed. So, familiarize yourself with how different solutions affect the mood, attitude, and behavior of viewers.
You need to harness the power of psychological triggers, master the art of visual storytelling, and control the mood. Therefore, take your time and do not rush a single design decision.
Put together a killer website that resonates with targeted users and takes them to another place, where worries fade away and dreams come alive.
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