The Science of Great Web Design

One morning you wake up and think that you have the best smartphone available in the market. In the next few months, it is replaced by a new, shinier model. That is the speed at which innovation in technology is taking place today.

In the world of social media and digital marketing agencies that we are currently living in, we are seeing innovations take place at a speed that has never been seen before. Technology is evolving so quickly that businesses need to know how to stay relevant with customers and competitors in their industries. With so many businesses going digital these days, it’s natural to want the most functional and attractive website design possible. You might be wondering why is the best web design los angeles so important in today’s day and age- the answer is that it is the one source that your customers can rely on to provide them with all the required information about your brand. Hence, it needs to be a source that is both rich in information as well as easy on the eyes. Modern companies are pouring countless resources into finding the best ways to connect with customers and impact their markets. Although many of the techniques involve user data, intensive research, predictive modeling, and various analytical metrics, one big area of potential is rooted in basic human nature.

The next big step in improving your website’s design begins with a better understanding of brain science. Understanding how the brain works and organizes information will take your web design further. Keep the following concepts in mind when constructing your website and organizing your content.

Logical Progression in Content

Determinism plays a big role in human brain science. As a species, we naturally look for the logical progression of things – beginning, middle, and then end. The human brain naturally sparks attention at the introduction of something new, but once the brain has adjusted to this new element, attention dwindles. However, once the new element is about to disappear (or otherwise end), attention perks back up in anticipation of the end state. We call this progression the “serial position effect.”

Readers’ attention is going to drop in the middle of a series of content. Their brain has jumped at the introduction of a new element, and complacency sets in after a while. Attention naturally picks back up once the end is in sight. Use the serial position effect when arranging content on your pages: Put the most important things at the beginning and end of your pages. That is where users’ eyes are going to linger longest and where you can make the biggest impact on their experience with your brand. Another way to make sure that you do not lose the viewer’s interest in the middle of the content piece that you are reading is to employ enterprise cms solutions that will help you organize your content in such a manner that the viewer will remain engaged with your page from start to finish.

Understand Loss Aversion

Human beings have a natural tendency to miscalculate losses and gains. The human brain tries to minimize pain and maximize pleasure, but as a species, human beings aren’t very good at immediate, accurate cost/benefit analyses. Typically, most people don’t assign the appropriate values to losses and gains – they tend to overestimate the value of a loss and underestimate the value of a gain. Therefore, losses are far more painful than they should be, and gains aren’t as positively impactful as they should be, a concept known as “loss aversion.”

Understanding how loss aversion affects the human brain is crucial when developing content for your site. For instance, users are far more likely to pay attention to the cost of not using your brand over the cost of using it. With this concept in mind, craft your content in such a way that you highlight gains immediately and bundle costs together so that you minimize the “negative” aspect of using your products or services.

Additionally, people will take advantage of an opportunity to save money on a purchase they may be only somewhat interested in making. For example, a customer may be 75% sure about making a purchase, but he or she isn’t convinced. An element of urgency, such as a “limited time offer” or “low quantities available,” may be the determining factor in getting that customer to bite and finish the sale. Creative Agencies are very good at putting this sense of urgency into your content in a seamless manner that makes it seem like the customer’s life will face a loss if they do not end up buying the product that your brand is selling. Partner with them to understand how you can bring this same sense of urgency to your brand and its products.

Humans are Social Animals

Although human beings are the most evolved animals on the planet, some animal instincts still influence us – herd mentality being one of these instincts. People tend to pay attention to what other people are doing, especially in large groups. This is important for web design in several ways, and you should consider using several design elements and features to capitalize on this part of human nature:

• Product reviews and testimonials. Most modern shoppers want to read reviews on a product before buying it. Today’s shoppers are more tech-savvy and socially conscious than any other previous generation, and most turn to the internet to investigate a purchase before committing to it. Reviews of your products and testimonials about the quality of your services are invaluable, so make sure you provide your customers with the opportunity to leave feedback. Their reviews may entice others to commit to purchases, especially if they address specific concerns one might have about a particular aspect of a product or service. The best website design company in the market will tell you that you need to provide this information in a manner that is not too intrusive or in the face of the user. At the same time, it needs to be in such a place that the user can easily find it in case they want to read reviews related to your product. This is why they will recommend keeping a banner at the bottom of the page wherein you can have a carousel of reviews, should your viewer choose to read them.

• Social media marketing. Social media is a part of everyday life for most people and has become a fantastic method for keeping in touch with the people in our lives in a convenient format. Businesses have moved into social media to make more-personal connections with their customers. Your social media platforms should be accessible from your website. Many companies have adopted sidebars or widgets that allow visitors to quickly Share, Like, Tweet, or Pin content to their social media accounts directly from the site. Offer visitors to your site the chance to connect to your social media presence by making these social media widgets a part of your social media pages. The good news is that today you will be able to find multiple companies that will provide you with these simple website redesign services that can take your cross-social media promotions to a whole new level.

• Social media trackers. In the same vein as offering social media interactivity, having a tracker that shows real-time stats for your brand’s social media efforts can have a tremendous impact on visitors to your website. For example, create a tracker that shows how many times a piece of your site’s content is Shared, Liked, Retweeted, or Pinned. If a visitor sees your content is getting thousands of hits, they are far more likely to investigate further. Popularity is generally an indicator of value, so most people will automatically assume that if a brand is getting lots of hits from other customers, it is trustworthy and valuable. SEO agencies can be an invaluable asset when it comes to tracking the metrics of how many people are landing on your page and how quickly they are leaving your page. This can give you insights that will help you curate not only the content but also the design of the social media pages to make sure that people want to stay on your page for a longer amount of time.

• Endorsements and brand appearances. If any popular media has featured your brand, or if you have received any endorsements from prominent figures or organizations, make it a point to display this information on your site. Users are going to see these endorsements and associate them with value. Branding agencies will tell you that one thing you need to keep in mind during this is choosing the right person to endorse your brand. In case the person has anything controversial against them in the social media space, it can backfire on your brand in the long run.

• Awards and certifications. Similar to endorsements, if your brand has received any official recognition, or earned any certifications (such as a Better Business Bureau rating), visitors on your site are also going to associate these accomplishments with value. You can make them a prominent part of your website redesign by displaying the name next to your logo or your menu on top of the page.

Capitalize on Cognitive Fluency

Overall, using brain science in web design hinges on your ability to leverage human nature as a communications tool. One more concept that will be tremendously helpful to exploit is cognitive fluency, or the human brain’s tendency to prefer simplicity. Some characteristics of websites have become so commonplace that users naturally expect to see those things, such as sidebars and login sections. If you deviate too far from established norms and expectations, you run the risk of users dismissing you. Your content does not fit the subconscious framework of what is acceptable or valuable, and the user dismisses it – knowingly or not. You need to keep all these things in mind when choosing the web development languages you want to use on your site as well so that the user can get the experience of navigating the pages that they are used to.

This does not mean you should simply mimic what everyone else is doing; you need to set your brand apart as something memorable. However, this does not mean completely doing away with all the established website design conventions. When you follow the basic guideline of customer expectations, you’re naturally encouraging cognitive fluency and building trust with the viewer. Keeping things simple, neat, and organized is a great way to draw attention and generate interest without seeming boring. However, the deciding factor in this will be the value and relevancy of your content.

Ultimately, you should focus your aesthetic appeal on easy processing: The human brain is going to prefer something easy to analyze over something complicated, and this applies to every element of your site, from visual elements to text to images. You also need to consider evolving social consciousness: People are more cautious online and wary of marketing. No one responds well to the hard sell anymore. Instead of using high-pressure, garish, or overly complex design, offer visitors to your site an easily digestible and valuable experience. Don’t make them wade through complicated designs to reach their goal, and leverage human nature to your advantage when designing for the web.