The importance of a website cannot be understated. As your business’s online home it’s a representation of your brand. Like a storefront location, it’s the last stop for consumers looking to make a purchasing decision.

Essential to that, then, is its design. It’s not enough to provide sales links or information. If you want to keep your target audience from clicking away, you need a strong visual presence to keep them.

How, then, do you create a website that matches your brand? Keep reading for five tips for creating visually appealing websites.

Keep It Simple

Those old enough may remember a time when web design was built around including as many graphics as possible. This came after text-only sites, so maybe it was the novelty of animated gifs or just the immaturity of web design language. Whatever it was even professional sites would overwhelm your senses.

As users became more accustomed to navigating sites, design became more sophisticated. Designers realized that simple but effective layouts kept users onsite longer.

This principle still exists. Strong content doesn’t need visual flash to call attention to itself. Instead, let it sell itself.

Choose the Right Colors

Presumably, your brand already has an identity. If so, use the existing color scheme and apply it to your site. That creates a strong degree of consistency. It also makes the site recognizable to people familiar with the brand.

But, it’s important to keep a couple of ideas in mind when choosing colors. Dark backgrounds are less effective. Using a lighter background with dark text is easier to read. It also allows visual to pop off the page much more.

Incorporate the Logo

While you want to maintain a visually simple site don’t exclude your company’s logo. Logo’s are a valuable way to create visual associations with your brand. Strengthen the connection between your brand and your site by incorporating them. This will also increase the power of your logo.

The Power of Pictures

A key attribute in the rise of social media platforms is photo sharing. People love to look at other people’s pictures. Capitalize on this by incorporating high-quality images on your site.

To make the most of these pictures, make sure they reflect the selling features of your company. If you’re a restaurant, include pictures of meals. If you’re an Escape Room, share images of scared patrons.

Using real-life pictures creates a strong sense of legitimacy in the customer’s eyes.

Optimize for Mobile Devices

While your site may look perfect on a laptop, the formatting can be all wrong on a tablet. Offer a consistent experience by optimizing your site for mobile devices.

After all, more and more people use mobile devices as their sole computing device. Don’t limit your audience by forgetting them.

Final Thoughts on Visually Appealing Websites

You’ve heard about a picture being worth a thousand words, and you know that you only have one chance at a first impression. Visually appealing websites go a long way to creating a positive online customer experience.
For more tips and ideas, visit the Web Design section of our blog.