Impact of Visually Appealing Websites on Branding
By: Michael Dunlop
The aesthetic impact of a website should be tailored to draw in visitors and convince them that the business that the site represents is reliable and reputable.
This is clearly relevant from a branding perspective, although there are different tactics to consider and approaches to try out when it comes to designing the look and feel of a website.
Here is a look at how visual design influences site effectiveness and why you should care about this if you run a business today.
Image Source: Pixabay
Online branding should reflect your industry
There are certain subliminal expectations that prospective customers will have before they visit your site in terms of what the brand identity should be and how this is represented in relation to the industry you occupy.
With the help of qualified design experts, you can factor these expectations into the visuals of your website.
Everything from the colors you choose to the typography you select will influence your site’s branding, and this needs to be consistent and industry-appropriate throughout. If not, the juxtaposition will be jarring and visitors may well be confused about what your company does.
Ugly sites create negative associations with your brand
We have already touched on the idea that your brand identity is innately tied to your website, so it should come as no surprise that if yours is visually unappealing and difficult to use, it will alter the opinions of visitors and likely hurt your sales.
Conversely if you take the time to tweak your site and make it look as attractive and professional as possible, you could see conversion rates rise and you will also have an easier time when trying to generate word of mouth momentum behind your brand.
Content layout determines shareability
Another digital marketing tactic you will likely be using is the use of on-site content to promote your brand and business through organically earned social media shares.
Of course people will be less willing to disseminate your content if it is poorly laid out and generally shabby from a visual standpoint. This can also make it harder to read and digest, which of course defeats the point of creating it in the first place, so getting your brand out there and building its reputation and authority requires that you take a visually appealing approach to on-site content as well.
Customer loyalty is contingent on attractive web design
At the end of the day your brand image and identity will be what convinces customers to commit to making a purchase on your website or signing up for one of your services. If the site itself is long in the tooth, hastily cobbled together or visually inconsistent in some other way, building trust and perpetuating relationships with new and existing customers will be much harder.
All of these reasons should convince you to take web design seriously and capitalize on the opportunities you have to put your brand in the spotlight for the right reasons.
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