The first thing a visitor to your website will notice is how efficiently your site loads. For years, the standard was a maximum of three seconds; beyond that, studies showed that visitors frequently expressed their impatience by moving on. More recent studies, however, indicate that the target has shrunk by almost a full second -- despite average website sizes that have increased by over 30 percent during 2013 alone.
The typical website rendered on a desktop PC has as much as 61 percent of its page weight in images. Images have always been notoriously slow to load although new formats can slash image weight by as much as 50 percent while still maintaining quality. However, a traditional website loaded with images is simply too unwieldy for mobile devices, so mobilizing your site is critical to keeping visitors happy with your site's performance.
Despite the drawbacks of images, a website without them has about as much personality as a petition to eliminate parking meters on downtown city streets. Visitors want to be shown -- they do not want to have to wade through lengthy texts to find the information they want. People today are barraged with information, especially on the web, and there is so much clamoring for their attention that they have become very selective.
Images have always been a major part of marketing effectiveness. The key is to select images wisely and place them strategically. By doing so, you can use your website to enhance the personality of your company in the minds of your visitors.
Your company's brand is communicated online through the answers to four primary questions: who, what, how and why.
Major corporations know that the right combination of colors can enhance sales and profitability, which is why they spend millions researching consumer reactions to colors used in packaging -- and on their websites. Different colors trigger different physical and psychological reactions in viewers, so you want to be sure that the colors you use on your website will impact viewers in the manner you desire.
Regardless of whether you choose cool, warm or neutral color groups, you should keep your site harmonious. Mixing warm and cool colors in too high a percentage can make your site seem confusing, cluttered and chaotic. Choose one or two colors for the bulk of the page.
It is also important to keep in mind that the colors chosen for your text also need to be in harmony with the rest of the site. Pay special attention to the readability of the text against the background you have chosen. For example, a pale green text against a white background or gray text against a black background may be too difficult for viewers to see.
If your website does not instantly appeal to a viewer, you may not receive a return visit. At EX2 Solutions, our team members have extensive experience creating and optimizing websites to make a great first impression on your visitors. Contact us to discover the many ways we can help.