As our culture becomes more and more computer literate, our sensitivity to the subtleties of technology deepens. Stop most people on the street, and they’ll be able to tell you their favorite font—or at least their default font and why they chose it.
But how much time have you spent thinking about the look and feel of your website? While font plays a major role in communicating who you are and what you’re aiming to achieve, the other elements of your online presence are equally important: graphics, website design, site structure, color palette, and so on.
Follow these guidelines to make sure you’re sending a message of professionalism and expertise to potential clients.
Serious Doesn’t Have to Mean Boring!
Communicating your authentic voice and personality to readers is an essential part of building an online presence; however, it’s important to note that communicating anything effectively online requires a fairly sophisticated understanding of web design.
If you work with professional-quality web designers and copywriters, you’ll be able to communicate exactly what you want to say and how you want to say it—and they’ll make your dream a reality. Specifically, you’ll want to spend time considering…
- Your font. There are dozens of fonts available to you, and all communicate something slightly different. They range from edgy to sophisticated to classic to modern to silly and difficult to read. What might look great for a header can be a disaster for more than a sentence. What looks stellar printed out may look lackluster onscreen. If you don’t work with a professional web design team, informally survey some friends whose opinions you trust about the fonts you’re considering.
- The layout of your website. You can have great copy on your site, but if visitors can’t easily navigate from one page to another, it likely won’t lead to many sales. Spend time figuring out a sitemap that makes sense for what you’re offering, and be sure to make internal navigation intuitive. It’s also important to be clear about the goal of your website—and to put all elements of the site in service of that goal.
- Graphics and images. Should you include a picture of yourself? What about other images? Graphics? Navigating the visual world of websites is a lot to handle, so be sure to take some time to research the basics or consult with a professional. A picture is worth a thousand words online as well as in print—make sure you choose images that convey the right thousand.
- Color schemes. What looks great hanging in your closet may not work on you homepage. The colors on your website can go a long way toward communicating your goals, personality, and attitude to potential clients. Spend some time considering your options and how they’ll affect the overall feel of your site.
- Your logo. If you haven’t updated your logo in a while, it might be time. A logo should concisely communicate as much information as possible about what a company does, whom it serves, and what its personality is.
Updating your website, blog, or newsletter may seem daunting—and it can be, without the right resources. But the process doesn’t have to be difficult. Start by noting what you admire in other websites and then speak with some professional designers to fill in your knowledge gaps.
Think of the process as giving your business a virtual makeover!
What do you most love or hate about your current online marketing materials?
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