Ever wonder why certain websites seem to really stand out from the competition? You know the ones – those websites that look and feel professional, trustworthy and credible?

A great website doesn’t just happen – it’s a carefully crafted blend of art, science and psychology that is designed to encourage users to think, feel and act in certain ways. In the case of marketing-focused websites, science-based design can have a profound impact the performance of the site.

At Hash Interactive we spend many hours a week training our designers to understand the science of quality web design.  Especially in local markets like Fargo, North Dakota.

Here’s a quick overview of the ‘science’ behind a well-executed website:

Colors Set The Tone

Colors can be powerful; colors affect our attitudes, perceptions and emotions by communicating directly with the brain.

For years, color psychology has been widely used in fast food restaurants, hospitals and public spaces to influence how people behave; ‘cool’ colors such as blues, greens and purples invoke feelings of calm and relaxation, while ‘warm’ colors like reds, oranges and yellows can stimulate people to move quicker, eat more and even feel more alert.

Website designers can set the tone of a site with color placement, shades and tints; the colors used on a site have an immediate and lasting affect on how site visitors feel about the company, brand or product connected to a website. Color is the first thing that visitors notice about a website – using the right colors in the right places can dramatically affect bounce and conversion rates.

Fonts Impact The Feel

While the content of a website is important, how that content is presented is equally important. Great website designers know how to use typography (different fonts) to invoke certain feelings and actions from site visitors. A casual, loose font can make a website look and feel young, hip and fun, while a formal, traditional font can boost the credibility and professional appearance of an organization.

Layout Matters

While innovative site designs can be effective, good website design strikes a balance between creativity and predictability – Internet users expect certain design elements to be included on every website they visit.

Effective websites make it easy for users to quickly navigate through the site, find the information they are looking for and take action – this is particularly important when it comes to mobile sites where space is at a premium.

Photo Quality Counts

Great website design is all about the visuals – studies show that most Internet users take less than a second to judge the quality and visual appeal of a website, and that 94% of users form their first impression of a company, organization or brand based on the quality and design of that company’s website.

Investing in high-quality photos and on-line images can dramatically increase how visitors perceive a site; the visual quality of a website also affects whether or not those first-time visitors will return to a site.

The next time you’re browsing the web, pay attention to the colors, fonts, layouts and images on your favorite websites – chances are good that your on-line behavior has been impacted by the science of great website design.

A Resource We Use

The Web Designer’s Idea Book, Vol. 3

We use books like this to understand different types of web design and what the design does for different industries.

Check it out at:

http://thewebdesignersideabook.com/volume-3/