Graphic design is about more than making sure a product looks good. It’s about visual communication and ensuring the consumer receives the correct message from the company. However, sending a direct message clearly and sending a direct message effectively are two different things.
As many as 12 billion searches are conducted online every month in the United States on average. But using online marketing techniques such as SEO, or search engine optimization, can only go so far. Once the consumer has reached your web page, you need to keep them on your web page and the only way to do that is through effective web design.
5 Signs Your Website Is Boring
Wordpress is a great website for companies and self-employed businesses who are unable to hire a professional web designer or graphic designer. However, one of the biggest mistakes of DIY websites such as this is that the company relies too heavily on the provided designs. Therefore, the first of the 5 signs your website is boring is that your website is not unique.
- Lack of individuality
The best way to stand out from the crowd as a business is by being unique. If a consumer sees the same design on your website that they’ve seen on hundreds of others, they’re going to dismiss your business as one that doesn’t care enough to look professional and legitimate. - Poor quality
Number two on the list of “5 signs your website is boring” is your website being out-dated. Just like viewers are able to tell by the quality of the film they’re watching that the movie was made years prior, your consumers will be able to tell when your design is outdated and will judge you accordingly. Consumers are more likely to respond to modern design because it looks sleek and well-taken care of, which is what your consumers hope to be: taken care of. If your web design is circa the 1990s, your consumers will be off your web page before you can even count them as web traffic. - Poor color choice
If the color choices on your website are too dramatic, they may blind your viewers, which may result in them clicking away. On the other hand, if your website doesn’t have any color, the consumer may ultimately decide your branding is bland without consciously being aware of it. - Poor font choice
The web is mostly a place of sans-serifs. They’re typically easier to read on screens and have a more modern look to them than serif fonts. Therefore, when a website utilizes a serif font, it can be off-putting and can result in the consumer believing your company to be out of touch with your audience. - Text blocks
Finally, one of the ultimate 5 signs your website is boring is if your company utilizes large text blocks without any sense of separation. Consumers come to your web page for information and rather than giving it to them you’re making them fish for it in a block of text.
Optimize your website for the modern user. Use colors to market your product, but not too many; keep your technology and designs up to date; use legible font choices that match your style of branding; and separate your texts into readable chunks. But this above all: to thine own website be true. That is, be individual with your branding to set yourself apart and you will remain memorable in the minds of your consumers.
