23 Jan Avoiding the Bells and Whistles
Website design is a powerful tool. When it is used correctly it can engage the visitor and keep them on the site and the page. But it can also be too powerful for some to wield. This is why it makes sense to hire a professional in web design when it comes to creating or overhauling your website.
Let’s think about what you want your customers to experience when they land on your site. You want them to be engaged and drawn in. But you don’t want the bells and whistles that some people feel they have to include. Think of an overuse of Flash or too much content packed into the page. These are the bells and whistles of the title. Sometimes you can have so much to choose from that you don’t want to miss out on any of it. This is understandable but you can end up scaring away the very people you drew to your site in the first place.
If you have ever heard the saying ‘less is more’ you will know where we are coming from. Good web design is all about knowing what matters and knowing what doesn’t. This might change to a certain degree from site to site, depending on the audience you are targeting. But in many cases simplicity beats complexity more often than you might think.
How many times have you visited a website only to find that you feel bombarded by information the moment you arrive? The webmaster is clearly eager for you to know everything there is to know right from the start. But their eagerness can put you off staying for any length of time at all.
Don’t underestimate the chances of this happening with your site. Make sure you enlist the help of professionals like Ratio7 to prevent that overload situation from occurring. The bells and whistles might be tempting to you, but they will put off anyone who makes it to your home page. You want visitors – either for clicking your ads or buying your products or services. Don’t send them away through eagerness.