It’s an age-old question, which many a daytime TV show host has been known to pose to their viewers:
“Are you a superficial person who only cares about skin-deep beauty, or do you place equal value on what’s contained within?”
Scratch beneath the veneer of an amazingly photogenic person’s good looks and you might not always find a beautiful personality sitting below their dazzling façade: In fact, such an individual could turn out to be the sort of person that you simply cannot abide being around for any length of time: After all, good looks aren’t everything…
In fact, the same can often be said about many of the products which inhabit our modern world: From computers to cars, smartphones to stereos or washing machines to websites: Lots of items might look the part at first glance, but simply fail to perform upon deeper inspection.
The problem with a ‘shallow’ web design approach
Plenty of websites are designed solely to look gorgeous at first glance: After all, if a site looks the part, many web-design companies are happy to let that be enough (and allow functionality, practicality and usability fall by the wayside). In short, such an aesthetic-led approach might be enough to get people to take notice of a website – but they’ll soon leave if it doesn’t provide them with a rewarding, informative, valuable or entertaining experience.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are loads of websites out there which perform admirably on a functional level: They might have clearly laid-out navigation, fantastic content and offer site visitors some amazing functionality: But if they look dated, boring, or just plain ugly, many users might not stick around long enough to discover all of their merits.
A balanced approach is necessary for success
Have you ever bought something based upon how fantastic it looks in a brochure, catalogue or website – only to be disappointed by the reality of owning a real dud of a product?
When it comes to the design of your website, you simply cannot afford to be fooled by glossy aesthetics, or great functionality alone: Your website, after all, represents your brand and everything that your business stands for – and today’s breed of savvy user expects good looks and performance in equal measures.
In an often superficial world, it is important to make sure that your website looks good enough to entice your audience in: But it also needs to perform admirably enough to hold their interest: This Zen-like harmony isn’t always the easiest thing to achieve, but it is the only way to go if you wish to possess a website which is beautiful inside and out.
When hiring a web-design company, it is essential to take a good look at their portfolio of example sites: By taking the time to really delve into the live examples they provide, you’ll be able to get a good feel for just how effective, user-friendly and practical their design approach is.
- Which mobile-friendly web design strategy is right for you? - August 28, 2015
- Errors to avoid in your social media marketing campaign - August 26, 2015
- Three things you must get right to run a successful e-com store - August 20, 2015
- Focus on the smallest details for a more mobile-friendly site - August 18, 2015
- Three reasons why physical retailers need an online presence - August 14, 2015
- Could your Scottish start-up benefit from a new digital grant? - August 13, 2015
- Does Google care if your website is responsive or not? - August 11, 2015
- Three powerful tips to boost your ecommerce conversions - June 15, 2015
- How Googles algorithm changes influence web design - June 7, 2015
- Stay on top of your Social Media Marketing with these 3 tips - June 2, 2015
You may also be interested in:
- Is flat UI design the way forward? Web User Interface (UI) design has changed a lot since the 1990s: But is it really accurate to state that...
- 3 Things to Consider When Hiring a Web Design Company You've decided your business needs a website or that it needs a new one. This is a big step for...
- Why has everything gone flat in web design? These days, websites need to display their content and navigation effectively across a wide range of devices: In a world...
- Three Web Design Trends Which Are Here To Stay What’s hot and what’s not in the world of web design? Let’s take a look at three popular trends which...
- Three Questions You Should Ask When Picking a Web Design Firm Picking a decent web design company that can deliver upon the claims made by their sales advisors is no mean...
Cozy Digital is an