3 Effective Tips to Turn a Web Design Into a Brand Experience
Long gone are the days when a design agency could make a living by simply using a few templates to churn out functional websites – now if you want to have any chance of surviving in the ultra-competitive world of web design, you have to be able to create a website that captures the very essence of the business.
After all, in today’s world, it is much more than just about owning a website – it has to represent the company for what it is, including its core values and the message it wants to send. There’s a never ending conversation going on between the consumer and the business which must be nurtured and developed on every platform, especially on the web, where the competition is right there, a click of a button away.
So here are 3 tips on how to turn a website design into a brand experience:
1. Combine Usability With the a Unique Experience
There’s a shift going on in the web design industry – the most successful and forward-thinking designers are shifting more from designing based on usability and features towards providing a unique experience for the visitors.
Of course, usability is also a crucial element, but a visitors’ interaction with a brand begins at the moment he goes on the website – it has to help him build associations that will help him embrace the brand and create a more special relationship.
2. Work to Capture the Brands’ Essence
In today’s fierce economy, a buying decision from a customer often comes down to something more than just basic specs and features – every successful company is trying to build a brand that signifies something bigger than just the product it is selling. Whether that would be a way of life, a unique quality associated with the products’ users or some kind of a trend, brands are now much more than just a logo – they are almost a philosophy.
That’s why the website also has to be in tune with the company’s brand – when a visitor goes onto a site, he has to feel that he is having a personal conversation, not staring down a generic website.
3. Make the Design Speak the Narrative of the Brand
There are many subtle details that play a vital role in whether a visitor of a website becomes engaged – they are often quite difficult to point out exactly, but you can tell that they have a strong influence, especially when taking a look at the websites of some of the most successful companies, like Apple, Microsoft or Starbucks.
Each of them carry their own charisma, their own way of connecting with their audience – it’s what can make a person feel a part of something bigger than himself, even if that is in the end just being a long-term client with a successful company.
So whatever a company might be, when building a website for them, it’s of paramount importance to have a long and hard look at how could the design complement the relationship that’s already there, between the customer and the company. If a website can accomplish that, it has more than done its job.
Summing it up, for a design agency to successfully compete in the website design industry, it has to provide the full package, which includes not only designing a well-functioning website, but also creating a unique experience for the visitor, capturing the very essence of a brand and expressing it in the company’s voice.
The company’s conversation with its customers never stop, and the website is a crucial platform that has to represent the company in a way that solidifies its place in the mind of the client.
