3 Tips to Help You Choose the Right Layout for Your Brand
Feel Confident Knowing You’ve Chosen the Layout Your Online Business Needs to Succeed!
Wix Free Website Templates
1) Evaluate What You Really Need
It can be tempting to look at aspirational competitors and get caught up in trying to replicate features or designs they’ve incorporated.
This tactic can feel like you’re skipping ahead but in reality it can actually unnecessarily complicate things and detract from what makes you unique. They also have a different goal from you, so copying their layout might get you further from your goal.
People buy from people. Don’t be afraid to share what makes you different, who your product or service is for, why they need it and why trust you.
Simplify things by first identifying your goal(s)for the website.
What do you want a visitor to do if they:
Don’t know they need your product or service yet
Need more information and are still on the fence
Have enough information and are ready to connect with you
This can be featuring your social communities on your site to encourage a visitor to join, offering a lead magnet with the goal of nurturing a long-term relationship, or a booking option for a quick “see if we’re a fit” call.
Focus on getting something online as quickly as possible (rather than chasing perfection), so you can start gathering data and refine as you go. See #3 for more on this!
2) Create Your Resources & Prioritize Content
Checkout Example Sites
There’s a reason why websites have a standard structure, and often, industry specific layout – people want certainty. Visitors don’t want to spend time figuring out how to use your website or hunt for information.
They want an experience where you guide them and present compelling information along the way.
Browse Images
If you do not have large resolution, quality images, embrace stock photos! You can strike a nice balance by using both and there are many free resources available, like Pexels, for photos & videos as well.
Grainy, low-quality photos do not build trust, so if you aren’t ready for a re shoot, utilize stock photos to help show the future state to your customers (helps them picture what their life will be like after working with you or purchasing your product).
Pick Your Fonts
Don’t know where to start? Google “common fonts for [your industry],” or browse through Google Fonts to see what you resonate with. (Limit your number of fonts to no more than 3)
Choose Your Color Palette
If you’re unsure of what colors go well together, look at images you find attractive online and identify which colors jump out & which complement each other.
Images are a great resource for creating a color palette, and you can incorporate your theme into your stylescape. For more on stylescapes and how to create one, click here.
Design Your Graphics – these help to separate a generic looking site from a site that’s bursting with personality.
Pick a theme that expresses you/your brand. This can be your location, a style, a vibe, activity, etc. By incorporating your theme throughout the design (again, don’t overdo it – less is more) your design will look cohesive and more professional.
For those who aren’t comfortable using PhotoShop, Canva is a fantastic resource for creating graphics. Through their paid version you can access stock photos and other useful resources.
3) Optimize as You Go! – Your website is never really “done”
Less is always more. Some business owners think that if they throw as much information and images at a visitor, they’ll be sure to convince them to take the next step.
This can actually have the opposite effect where you end up overwhelming a visitor and they “bounce” – leave your website without engaging.
Don’t create content for the sake of creating content. If it doesn’t serve a purpose, (communicate what you do, who it’s for, why they need it, why trust you, or what to do next) don’t include it.
If you create more pages than you really need, it’s just going to make you feel overwhelmed having to manage them. Your visitors will also feel overwhelmed trying to navigate through it!
Questions or want to work with our team? Schedule a free strategy session. We’ll chat about your business, actionable steps you can take, and how our programs can help.
