One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs and small business owners make is thinking that aesthetic web design is merely about appearance.
Yet, while how a website looks isn’t always a predictor of how it performs – because some websites really do achieve high conversion rates with very basic design – research suggests that web design does help guide visitors toward a purchase decision.
But how do you use web design to convert more customers? And what aspects of your digital presence should you pay the most attention to?
This article will help you learn how to use aesthetics to guide visitors into action, as well as provide several great examples you can draw inspiration from. Let’s get into it.
Make a Strong & Stunning First Impression
Let’s face it. Focusing on aesthetic design may seem frivolous when aiming to optimize business outcomes through web design. However, research suggests that it might be a necessary step toward reaching above-average conversion rates.
According to a scientific study, web visitors form first impressions within 50 milliseconds of landing on a website. The majority of these impressions are based on aesthetic design. And these opinions directly influence visitors’ brand perception, trust, and purchase intent.
In short, if you want your target audience to like your business, perceive it as credible, and want to invest in your products or services, your website’s design needs to be stunning at first glance.
The Vinova Events homepage is an exceptional example of what this looks like. The brand prioritizes stunning visuals for its site’s first screenful. Seeing how each of these visuals depicts an image that aligns with the brand’s target audience’s aspirations, the design direction works perfectly for getting visitors to continue browsing the site and convert into Vinova Events’ customers.
Source: vinovaevents.com
Use White Space Intelligently
White space (or negative space, as it’s also often called) is a commonly overlooked aesthetic element of high-converting web design. Essentially, the term refers to any area of a website that’s intentionally left blank.
In traditional web design (that is, if we disregard minimalism, which is an aesthetic direction that heavily relies on negative space), white space has two primary functions.
On the one hand, intentionally blank website areas play a key role in allowing high-value web elements (like value propositions, CTA buttons, or social proof) to stand out – especially against heavily aestheticized web areas.
On the other hand, negative space also plays a role in maximizing user experience, particularly by:
- improving mobile-friendliness
- making information easier to consume
- boosting copy readability and comprehension
- easing site navigation
So, for instance, if you check out PetDesk, you’ll find that the brand’s website uses a lot of white space. And the reason for this is simple. The white background contributes to a strong and professional aesthetic design that helps the brand position itself as a credible entity in an industry where this genuinely matters. Additionally, the high amount of white space prevents distractions, allowing the benefits PetDesk offers to stand out, which results in elevated engagement rates and the ability to guide visitors into the sales funnel.
Source: petdesk.com
Communicate Through Imagery, Illustrations, and Video
High-quality website copy is indispensable in encouraging your target audience to move into and through the sales funnel. But let’s face it. Most internet users don’t read online content. At best, they skim it for keywords until they find something that seems relevant to their experience.
With this in mind, you’ll want to explore ways to use website design to strengthen your messaging.
One of the most effective ways to do this is, of course, to replace (at least a portion of your) web copy with visual formats.
Imagery, illustrations, video, and even interactive elements all elevate engagement rates. Plus, they’re far more user-friendly than written copy in that they promote better content understanding and align with how consumers want to learn about products.
For example, if you check out Goodwings, you’ll first see a stunning website that looks aesthetically pleasing. On top of that, the brand smartly employs in-app screenshots to explain product features, which significantly boosts product understanding, improves engagement rates, and provides potential customers with a snapshot of what they can expect if they choose to sign up.
Source: goodwings.com
Make Social Proof Attractive & Engaging
Brand trust is a crucial element of the buyer’s journey.
Research shows that almost all consumers seek out reviews and ratings before making buying decisions. Most won’t even consider investing in a solution if it doesn’t have at least some customer feedback to back up its effectiveness and quality. And, most importantly, for 88% of consumers, brand credibility and trust are just as important as product quality and price.
So, if you’re looking for strategies that can help you guide website visitors into action, showcasing high-quality social proof is non-negotiable.
But here’s the deal. Most brands use social proof in its most generic formats. They show off star ratings, and they may even highlight a few positive customer testimonials.
Nevertheless, doing just enough isn’t necessarily sufficient to engage consumers – especially not when their attention spans are short and their interest in traditional content formats tends to gravitate towards none.
With this in mind, one of the best design tactics you can use on your website is to make your social proof as attractive and engaging as possible.
For example, R.E. Cost Seg features a customer feedback video in the topmost section of its homepage, knowing that it’s guaranteed to grab visitors’ attention. Moreover, it can:
- help elevate product understanding
- communicate brand competence
- encourage potential prospects to book a free consultation to draw them into the sales funnel
Source: recostseg.com
Maintain a Consistent Visual Brand Identity
Lastly, as you explore the role of aesthetic appeal in web design (as well as how a visually attractive design can help you optimize for conversions), your instinct may be to want to embrace new and exciting visual directions to make your digital presence more “in.”
However, that could be a mistake.
Yes, being on trend is a great thing – especially if you operate in an industry where virality is crucial for grabbing and retaining consumer attention. But it can also signal inconsistency in more professional or traditional settings, which may significantly diminish your chances of converting web visitors into customers.
With this in mind, prioritize consistency in aesthetic design. Ultimately, you want your web design to align with your brand’s visual identity. Moreover, you want it to be a continuation of the aesthetics that your leads already associate with your business – particularly if your primary channel for building brand and product awareness includes social media.
For example, Sweet Cecily’s does an excellent job of maintaining a consistent visual brand identity even though its aesthetic design leans towards minimalism. The brand achieves this through a strong visual focus on products, as well as a breadth of natural elements within its product photography, which perfectly ties in with the content it shares on its social channels.
Source: sweetcecilys.com
Final Thoughts
For a website design to have a high conversion potential, it doesn’t have to be complex. On the contrary, your chances of converting more customers might grow, in fact, if you opt for a simpler design direction.
Nevertheless, you do need to invest in an aesthetically attractive theme for your site, as it’s guaranteed to impact your brand’s reputation and your web visitors’ purchase intent.So, don’t let yourself ignore the importance of visual appeal. No, you don’t have to follow trends or even adhere to the expectations that may be prominent in your industry. However, you must prioritize visual consistency, clean aesthetics, and high levels of user friendliness. Ultimately, these will be the elements of web design that’ll positively differentiate your brand from your competitors and make your online presence attractive to potential customers, getting them not just to notice your offer but also elevating their willingness to buy from your brand.
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