5.16 billion people use the internet globally and it is only expected to increase in the future. This means that your website is one of your most important brand assets. You must ensure your brand assets are helping your business stand out, provide solutions and at the same time they need to be aesthetically pleasing. One of the most important assets of your business is your website. For most consumers, it is their first point of contact with the company. And their first impression sets the tone for their entire experience. In addition to being functional, informative, and easy to use, a good website needs to capture the viewer’s attention and keep them excited.
With more than 5 years of experience designing websites, Ariana Grillo has developed a set of criteria that she has used to create successful websites with more than 10K visitors a day. She recently designed the latest rebrand for a Brooklyn boutique hair salon, Little Lion Salon, a project by Better Future. Below, she outlines the five essentials for creating a modern website that stands out online with an emphasis on functionality, aesthetics, social impact, and humanistic values.
1. Consistent and Strong
Branding and design elements should be cohesive throughout the entire platform. Instead of using 10 different applications of the same design, try sticking to 5 that work and repeat them throughout the website for consistency. Don’t be afraid of repetition. It’s actually needed when positioning a brand in your customers’ minds. You can make small variations to one same application, like in size or color, but the element should be consistent. For Little Lion Salon’s website, we used organic floating images and statement quotes sections on almost in every page.
2. Clear & Clever
Websites should be easy to understand and follow, regardless of your target market or how Avant Garde you want your design to be. You don’t want someone to leave your site after a few seconds because they couldn’t find what they were looking for. Design and originality are important, but these elements need to make sense for all website visitors. Keep your menus, calls to action, and important information visible for your audience. For Little Lion’s website, we even repeated the info as needed throughout the entire site.
3. Attractive and Quality Content
Images & videos are worth 1000 words. Nothing says more about your brand than curated photography or interesting quality videos. Yes, a professional photoshoot is worth it. Just be careful not to affect the performance of the website by adding heavy content. Measure the website’s loading speed after putting in your content to make sure it isn’t dragging it down. It’s also important to show your audience a preview of the spaces or products they will see when they visit your business or place an order online. For Little Lion’s website we used beautiful short clips playing on a loop that not only adds dimension to the page, but shows the team’s talent in another level.
4. Concise & Impactful Storytelling
The truth is most people don’t read. Too much text can easily turn people off even if it’s informative. You have a very small window in terms of keeping their attention, so make sure your content is impactful. Stay away from long body texts and copy that is difficult to understand. Get to the point quickly with bold headlines and keep storytelling as visual as possible with accents, imagery, and or key statements/words.
5. Proper Responsiveness
Seventy percent of current internet users will visit your website on their mobiles instead of their computers, so don’t forget about the interface of your mobile website. The content should automatically convert to a vertical screen with the appropriate size to make sure viewers can still see what’s on the page. The fonts should be big enough to read and the imagery should have the right format without cutting off important elements. Your mobile version should be just as, if not more, important as your desktop site. For Little Lion’s website we had to adjust their images and videos as well as their interface motions to make sure it worked properly.
Design by Ariana Grillo
Website Implementation by Better Future
