“We Never Go Out of Style”
– said no website ever.
(Yes, that was a Taylor Swift pun.)
Technology is changing every day. After you buy a new device, whether that is a phone, computer, or even a watch, a newer one is coming out a month later. And as far as the digital devices change, so do the websites that live in them.
You may be thinking, “Well we just updated our website 3-5 years ago, it still works just fine for us.” But there is a good chance that the “working just fine” website is dated in comparison to your competitor that just did a full-website redesign in 2015. When prospects are visiting your site, for some, this might be a deal breaker.
Keeping up with technology is crucial to your website’s users. The least creative people in the world have the ability to tell the difference between a modern website from an outdated website. They know good User Interface (UI) when they see it – even if they can’t tell you why it’s better/worse.
We have compiled some questions to help make sure that you are not only “keep up with the Joneses,” but also surpassing your competitors.
- Are your buttons too complex?
Buttons should be strong Calls-to-Actions, but they don’t need to look like 3D lego blocks. Images inside of buttons and additional bells and whistles can distract the user rather than compelling them to click. Keep buttons as simple shapes and bold colors, which makes them less scary to click.
Great Examples:
- Do you love cheesy stock images?
Apparently, so does Vince Vaughn… but your users don’t. They are so staged that they don’t relate to your audience.
Guy pointing at a chart going up?
Intentionally diverse team standing proudly in front of a wheat field?
Woman laughing alone with a salad?
Blech.
Using photography and videos from sites such as stocksy and dissolve help keep your website relatable. They use a modern photography and video style, with people just like you, to create a soft, approachable vibe.
Great Examples:
- Is there too much copy?
People don’t read websites, they skim and scan for content. It’s a fact. Nowadays, users want it short and sweet.
Here is the secret: users will read your content…if you trick them! Do this by splitting up your content into shorter paragraphs and sprinkling these paragraphs throughout the page, instead of having one large block of 10-12 paragraphs.
You can also make your messaging easier to digest by introducing design elements such as infographics and iconography to visually voice your concepts. Remember: Quality > Quantity.
Great Examples:
- Do you look smaller than you actually are?
Your website might be communicating to users that you are a 10-20 person startup, when you’ve actually grown into a Fortune 500 company with 500+ employees.
Show credibility by featuring trust indicators such as testimonials from corporate clients, success ratings and company culture. Share details with users visiting your website to give them a better sense of who your company is and what it will be like working with you.
Great Examples:
- Is your website over designed?
Over-designed websites use too many forms of patterns, textures and strong drop-down shadows. You certainly want to intrigue your users with beautiful design – but there is a fine line between a clean, classy site and feeling like you are walking down the scrapbook aisle at Hobby Lobby.
Less is more. Keeping your UI clean will make it easier to read and take action.
Great Examples:
- Do you have too many links in your main navigation?
Users want to be told where to go. Giving them too many options can overwhelm them and increase your bounce rate. The sweet spot for your main navigation is usually around 4-5 main links.
Great Examples:
- Are you using too many colors in your palette?
Establishing a color palette is standard in the branding process. So when it comes to designing your website, those should already be established. You can add subtle secondary colors to the palette specifically for the website, but make sure that it doesn’t turn into a coloring book.
Modernize your website by allowing whitespace and breathing room for your content. Allow white, gray and black to add contrast rather than adding more bold colors.
Great Examples:
- Are you using comic sans?
I can’t even…
Typography on a website can make a huge difference. It sets the tone, theme and message of a website. If your typography is off, the whole website can be missing the mark. Setting your header, sub-titles and body stylings with the correct spacing, etc. will allow your website to speak strongly to the users in the correct hierarchy.
Conclusion
If you answered yes to some of these questions, it’s probably time to update your site. If you aren’t sure where to start, contact us! We would love to help you update your website and refresh it to better fit your company. We even offer a full UI & UX audit for dissecting your current website – telling you not only why it might be missing the mark, but how to we can help make it better (in the nicest way possible).