We’ve all been cruising around the Internet and stumbled upon a website that looks like it came straight out of 2002. With outdated information, cookie-cutter design and a complete lack of apparent thought for user experience, websites like this can have visitors reaching for the back button sooner than their minds can even register what exactly they hate about the website they just saw. So to keep this from happening when someone comes to your website, regardless of what the topic or industry you’re in, here are three tips for making your potentially boring website more visually appealing to your visitors.
Picking the Right Content
When most people think of visual content, their minds likely immediately jump to images. However, Neil Patel of QuickSprout reminds his readers that visual content actually can include a lot more options than just images. Patel shares that visual content can and should include video, infographics, screenshot images, memes, data graphics and more. So if you notice that your website has a lot of images but not much more variation when it comes to visual content, consider how you can incorporate other forms of visual content to make your website more dynamic and appealing.
Don’t Overdo Your Coding Tricks
One great way to rise above a traditional, boring website is to introduce various coding aspects that make your site appear more alive and interactive. But while this can draw in your visitors, Lauren Hockenson, a contributor to Mashable, reminds web designers that overdoing dynamic code can turn into a jarring and off-putting experience quickly. Also, if your visitors don’t have the software compatible with your coding, like JavaScript enabled, all your hard work may not even be seen. To avoid this, Hockenson recommends always having a solid backup view for your website so things don’t look horrible if none of the scripts or coding works for your visitor.
Use Text Sparingly and Wisely
Striking the right balance between visual content and text can make a huge difference for the appeal of your website. Comm100, a contributor to Business2Community.com, shares that websites that have large amounts of text, also known as text walls, often intimidate or scare off visitors, resulting in a high bounce rate and other negative metrics. To combat this, it’s important to keep paragraphs small and to bold or otherwise highlight sections or phrases that you feel to be vital to the key takeaway of your content. This will make it easier for your visitors to skim your content and find the information they need in order to use your website effectively.
A visually appealing website can be the difference between finding success online and ultimately shutting down your site. Use the tips mentioned above to boost the appeal of your website today.
Originally posted on May 27, 2016 @ 2:37 pm