Creating a Winning Website: 5 Key Elements of Design to Help Drive Traffic

 

Website design plays a crucial role in determining the success of a website. A well-designed website needs to provide a great user experience, making it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for in addition to being visually appealing. We’ve compiled a list of 5 key elements of web design that can help make your business stand out against competitors and help drive more traffic, gaining you new customers.

Navigation

First and foremost, it is important to have a clear and easy-to-use navigation. Visitors should be able to find what they are looking for within a matter of seconds. This can be achieved by keeping your menu items short, with a maximum of 6 to 7 categories in total, and making them easy to read at a quick glance. Try to keep the category names at 1 to 2 words, if possible.

Layout

Another important aspect of website design is the layout. A clean and organized website makes it easier for visitors to read and understand the content on each page. This can be achieved by using a grid-based layout that acts as the framework for each page, using consistent typography throughout the site and making sure each section is easy to digest at a quick glance.

Colors and Imagery

It is also important to pay attention to the color scheme and images used throughout your site. The colors should be consistent to your brand and should complement the overall design. Deviating from your color palette should happen sparingly to avoid being labeled as inconsistent or untrustworthy to your customers. Images should also tie into your color scheme and be high-quality and relevant to the content on each page.

Responsive Design

One of the most important aspects of website design is making sure your site can be viewed across devices. With the increasing use of mobile devices to access the internet in place of desktop computers, it is essential that a website is optimized for all screen sizes. This means that the layout and content should adjust to fit the screen, providing a seamless experience for visitors regardless of the device they are using.

Load Time

People are busier than ever these days, which means you may only have nanoseconds to make your impression upon the user. That being said, visitors will quickly lose interest if a website takes too long to load. To improve load time, it is important to optimize images and reduce the use of large files on your site.

 

By paying attention to these key elements, you can create a website that not only looks good, but also provides a great user experience and drives more traffic. Looking to redesign your website or start a brand new build? Contact us to get started, or give us a call at 330-286-0487 to get a custom quote today. Also, don’t forget to follow us on all of our social platforms. Stay up to date on our monthly newsletters, full of more helpful tips and tricks!

The Secrets of Long-Standing Brands

 

How is it that some brands have stood the test of time despite a market where visual trends change by the minute, technology is always advancing and culture is constantly shifting? Brands have two options: they can either ignore these obstacles and become irrelevant, or they can adapt and remain a strong presence in their respective markets.

 

There are three things that all long-standing brands have in common: they are consistent, true to themselves and they adapt when necessary. A brand achieves consistency when they remain aligned with their values and mission over time. This is executed through actions and can also be communicated visually. Let’s take a look at a few brands that have successfully achieved consistency in their lifetime:

Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. is a great example of a brand that has remained persistent over their lifespan. Tiffany has been around since 1847, and in their 175 years, their logo has remained the same.

 

 

This isn’t something that would work for every company, but in the case of Tiffany, it only strengthens their brand. They have a clear vision to be the arbiters of taste and style. Every choice they make must fall in line with that vision. The longer they exist in the world of luxury, the more desirable they become and they have a strong understanding of this. Tiffany is most famous for their signature Tiffany Blue, which has been an unwavering element in their branding. Even Tiffany must still make an effort to remain relevant in their industry. They implemented very subtle rebranding in recent years, which focused on scaling of their logo on bags, boxes and other materials, to achieve a modern high-end feel. They also made small changes that focused on giving customers a more luxurious experience through material choices.

 

 

The Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton has a rich history, originally founded by Caesar Ritz, the King of hoteliers and hotelier of kings. The first US Hotel was founded in 1911, but The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC was not formed until 1983. Through many acquisitions, the Ritz has still maintained its original purpose of creating a luxurious, elevated hotel experience. The logo reinforces the brands historic relevance by showcasing the British Royal Seal and a lion, which represents a financial backer.Changes were made to the branding in 2015 that may not have been recognized by the average consumer, but the brand cited that with the change in the hotel industry, they needed to keep up with the modern luxury consumer that prioritizes unique experiences when choosing their destination. They created new brand standards with the overall goal of achieving consistency in experience while also allowing every location to have a unique sense of identity. Visual changes were made to modernize the type, the balance of their logo and they changed their signature blue, amongst other changes. Over-all, The Ritz recognized where they needed to pivot and it paid off, allowing them to remain a staple in the luxury hotel market.

 

 

Starbucks

Undoubtedly one of the most recognizable brands in the Coffee industry is Starbucks. Founded a little over 50 years ago, they have come a long way from a Seattle roaster to a household name. Starbucks has remained popular through many culture shifts. They have seen a major evolution in their branding; once an ornate emblem of a siren paired with their name, they have now simplified to a modern icon of their famous siren and dropped the name from their logo, joining the likes of Apple and Nike.

 

 

In the past decade, the coffee market has become saturated with copycats and also highly unique roasters. While Starbucks has remained true to their brand, they have also adapted. In the early years, their coffee was sold in brown paper packaging, but in the 90’s they started printing interesting designs on their bags implementing visual storytelling, helping them stick out amongst competitors.

 

 

Most famously, they popularized the famous holiday cups, a design choice that generated consumer excitement season after season with its Instagram worthy design.

 

Recognizing that the modern customer was looking for unique experiences when visiting coffee shops, Starbucks introduced their Reserve Roastery, highly unique locations that showcase innovation. Other design choices were made to appeal to those who were socially- and climate-conscious: Starbucks changed to a recycled material for their cups and have continued to focus on sustainable choices, reinforcing their presence at the top of the market.

 

Any brand that takes the time to understand their customer, their voice and the market they exist in, can avoid following fleeting trends and become an industry staple.

 

For more tips and tricks for navigating the current marketing and branding trends, join our mailing list to hear more! Need help updating, revamping or starting your brand? Contact us.

Pantone Color of the Year 2023

Pantone, the world-leading expert in color, recently announced Viva Magenta as their pick for 2023’s Color of the Year. Viva Magenta 18-1750 vibrates with vim and vigor with Pantone describing the color as, “a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.” Read more

4 Benefits of Your Site Being ADA Compliant

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), developed in 1990, is meant to ensure that people with disabilities have the same opportunities as anyone else. Any business that serves the public must make sure their building accommodates people with disabilities of various kinds. Unfortunately, many businesses are not aware that ADA compliance also applies to digital store-fronts as well. Websites need to be accessible to people who have disabilities that affect their hearing, vision or physical capacities. Recently, a ruling was passed declaring the official standard of website accessibility for businesses. Read more

4 Small Towns That Give Off Perfect Fall Vibes

 

There is something about that small-town New England charm that beckons us – practically every seasonal Hallmark movie has a similar setting. We want to be surrounded by those autumn colors, front porches decorated with pumpkins, mums and hay bales, and white picket fences adorned with garland as we sip on our hot coffee (or pumpkin spice latte) to keep warm while wearing fingerless hand-knit gloves. Here’s four locations where you can find these idyllic settings and activities which will make you feel as if you were on the set of Gilmore Girls: a fun, Fall television favorite. Read more