There are many reasons why people create websites. In most cases, they use this platform to boost their business, share information with potential customers and build a strong online presence.
Whatever the reason, a successful online presence relies on many factors. One of them, is the correct use of visual elements.
In this article, we will share and explore the main benefits and implications of adding visuals to your website's success. Fun!
While non-visual elements play an important role in the overall user experience, visitors will usually notice the appearance of your website first. Think about it, as customers we always choose our clothes for their appearance before trying them on.
Similar to a look that just won't work, visuals can make or break your website.
3 Visual Elements Your Website Has to Include
Dedicated to getting results that matter, we asked you about what you think are the most important visual elements when launching a website.
After some in-house brainstorming and based on your answers, we have compiled a short guide about which visual elements your website needs to be successful. You can absorb the whole thing or just skim-read using the links below!
#1: The Importance of Colour in Web Design
With all the research done on this subject, digital marketers know how to harness the power of colour by incorporating it into their website.
Of course, a lot of consideration is needed to choose the right colour palette.
When choosing your website palette, try to steer away from simply picking your favourite colours.
Far from random, recent findings have demonstrated how each colour is usually associated with a particular feeling. For example:
Cheerful Yellow
Money-driven Green
Trustworthy Blue
Happy Happy Orange
Powerful Red
Different colours invoke different emotional reactions for most people. Therefore, it is only rational that the colours used on your website should not only match your brand identity but also its value and vision.
This is your chance to match your brand with a feeling your customers can understand - are you a powerful and trustworthy mechanical engineering company or a cheerful micro-baker happily covered in sourdough?
Looking especially at CTA buttons, colour plays a pivotal role in nudging the user to click and drive-up conversion.
US-based communications giant Verizon shared how their website success was greatly affected by the colour of their 'call now' buttons. They suggest that companies should steer away from black, white and brown CTA colours, as they are simply pale in comparison with their stronger RGB cousins.
Similarly, gambling giant VegasSlotsOnline ran an A/B testing campaign to find out whether their 'Sign-Up' buttons would generate better results if yellow rather than green.
Interestingly enough, by changing their button colour to yellow the company saw a 175% increase in conversions.
#2: How Typography Becomes Visually Empowering
Another visual element that web designers utilise is typography. According to Jeff Zeldman, the widely-considered king of web standards, 90% of designs are typography.
Whether you stand behind that percentage or not, one thing is clear; typography is essential to Web Design. Otherwise what would we even be doing here?
It may not look like a groundbreaking visual element, but if you've visited a website with poor typography, you'll quickly understand how it can hurt your website's functionality.
Trust us, a lot can go wrong with something as 'simple' as typography. Here's another list!
The font itself becomes over-styled, difficult to read, and can generally be repulsive (think of quirky cursive fonts).
The spacing between letters can be too narrow, resulting in words that are difficult to read.
The font colour may be difficult to see
Fonts may be old and not fashionable (remember comic sans?!)
The font may not represent the style of the brand or may not match other elements of the site.
We actually did a thing about typography here and how it can be scroll-stopper especially on mobile devices.
So, to recap: the text on your website should always be visible and readable. Otherwise people will just scroll past it. Remember, you only have 15 seconds to convince a visitor to stay on your website - don't let a bad font cost you a customer.
Beyond the actual font design and size, another factor is the contrast between the text and the background. To make the text visible and easy for most people to read, current web standards minimise the contrast ratio between the text colour and the background colour.
To comply with modern web standards, we recommend the following:
Large text such as headers and titles should have a contrast ratio of at least 3: 1 to the background colour. The contrast ratio of small text such as text should be 4.5: 1 or higher.
We have apparently made a full circle back to colour - interesting, huh.
#3: Website Images as Pivotal Imagery
The correct images can greatly benefit your website's attractiveness and inspire a user to spend some more time in your collections or even contact page.
Images are directly linked with maintaining a healthy relationship with your customers through your website. Gaining authority and trust in your business can be the advantage you were missing.
Therefore, by adding images on your website you make sure your visitors are visually hooked and interested to keep scrolling through your content. More often than not, this leads to increased conversions.
Of course content is essential to explain your product and service, but the chosen image helps to create the best first impression. They can help bring your offers to life and give visitors something visualise and imagine.
The product is always perfect in our heads so don't underestimate the power of imagination in sales. Just like a nice story, the correct imagery can invoke emotions which go beyond rational consumerism and asking prices. Essentially, what this does is increasing opportunities for sale and mark your brand. As human beings, we are very visual in nature. On your website, this gives you the chance to create an experience which a user can empathise with and more importantly, absorb the important information you are providing. By improving your website images and visual identity, visitors are more likely to stay on your site and much more likely to navigate towards that contact page or sales!
Conclusion: Bringing the Visuals Together Striking the right balance between design and ease of use on your website is a whole other beast on its own. But in the end, aspiring design should never stand in the way of navigation and conversion - it should rather facilitate it. A good web designer understands this and integrates this philosophy into their work regardless of constrictions
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I would love to tell you that there's a science behind striking that balance and not overwhelming your visitor with bright visuals and text, but it does take a fair amount of good old-fashioned intuition and experience.
See any room for improvement on your website?
Contact the avocadots' crew of experts and let's start brainstorming about how to freshen up your website and brand.
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