Does your website seem outdated or out-of-touch with your company mission? Maybe you feel stuck in the 20th century. Whatever your reason is, giving your website a contemporary feel will keep your business relevant.
And while anyone can design a website, some websites are significantly better than others – and these websites often have the same design elements in common.
Here are the five secrets for a modern web design that will leave your users impressed.
Select a Font Wisely
Font psychology may seem like a silly term, but the font you select plays a large role in the overall feel of your website. If you choose Comic Sans, you will be sending a completely different message than if you were to use solely Times New Roman throughout your site.
Believe it or not, certain fonts will inspire certain feelings and behaviors. A font that has a modern appeal will encourage the viewer who is looking for a modern solution to stay on your site longer.
Sans-serif fonts are known to add a modern touch to your body text, while serif fonts are associated with tradition and sophistication. You can tell the difference between the two by looking at the markings at the end of the letters. Sans-serif fonts are usually rounder and more simple, while serif fonts have small tails.
Design as a User
Have you ever visited a website that doesn’t have the logo in the top left corner? Probably not.
This isn’t because web designers are boring. Certain elements are the same across virtually every website because a quality design works with what the user is already expecting. Familiar features keep a user on a website longer.
When you’re looking to access the home page of a website, where’s the first area you look at? Most likely, your eyes will naturally gravitate toward the top left corner of your screen. The same goes for a horizontal menu navigation, a search bar at the top of the page, and social media icons on the bottom.
A good design will make the user experience seamless. When you’re designing your site, think about how you would feel if you were visiting it. Make sure fonts are easy to read, colors are inviting yet dynamic, and design doesn’t compromise functionality in any way.
You’ll stand out with the content you write, the pictures you use, and the results you deliver. Modern doesn’t mean you need to reinvent the wheel.
Modern Web Design Embraces Minimalism
On a similar note, keep that less-is-more mindset throughout your website. A streamlined design will benefit your website in more ways than one.
With less content on each page, your website will load much more quickly. It will also make scanning through products and information simple and pleasant for viewers, as they can direct their focus solely to your content.
Your website will look more professional and beautiful to viewers, as data shows that more complex websites consistently score as less attractive to users. A minimalistic website will always appear fresh and modern, standing the test of time. This means fewer re-designs and lasting aesthetical appeal.
These days, minimalism is synonymous with modern – polished, neutral, and refined. More often than not, one image is better than two, one font is better than multiple, just a word should be bolded instead of the entire paragraph… you get the picture.
Use Simple Colors for Big Impact
By using a minimalistic design, the colors you do use will have that much more impact. A green “find out more” button will seem enticing next to a simple page of just a few displayed products on a white background.
When choosing your color palette, you only need three colors.
Primary Color
The primary color should take up the majority (at least 60 percent) of your website’s space. This color typically will be the background of each page.
Secondary Color
The secondary color should take up about 25 percent of the screen. Usually, the secondary color will be the color of your text.
Accent Color
The accent color will be used for areas such as call-to-action buttons, emphasized text, or decorations. This color should be the brightest one in your color scheme.
For a modern website, neutral colors are best. At least one of your primary or secondary colors should be a color like black, white, grey, dark brown, or beige. An accent color in a cool blue, purple, or green will even further elevate your color scheme.
This isn’t to say that a website needs to have a dull color scheme to achieve a contemporary feel. As long as the color palette is simple enough for the viewer to absorb and consistent throughout the website, your web design is likely successful.
Choose the Right Images
The famous saying goes “a picture says a thousand words,” but just what words do you want those to be?
The images featured on your website play a more important role than you think in how viewers perceive your company. If an image appears to be staged or along the lines of a stock photo, the user will likely ignore it.
On the flip side, engagement will be much higher if you use portrait photos of authentic people and situations – this could be employees shining at a meeting, clients smiling next to a written testimonial, or a customer-submitted photo of them using a product.
A sleek website doesn’t overdo it on photos, either. Rather, it selects a few that have maximum impact. When designing your site, only include photos that enhance the meaning of your content or provide a new perspective altogether.
Get An Expert’s Touch
Now that you better understand key modern web design principles for your site, you’re on your way to creating a platform that beautifully represents your company and attracts the right kind of people.
Better yet, talk to an expert to give your design that added edge. Your website is the centerpiece of your marketing strategy – it should shine!