Applying The Identity for Proper Website Aesthetics


by Michael Hack - Date: 2006-11-28 - Word Count: 920 Share This!

I received a guitar for my birthday last month, and this was my favorite gift. The only problem is that I've never played the guitar, and while I'm sure I have all the talent and potential to become the next Jimmy Page, effortlessly strumming Stairway To Heaven is not in the near future. So I decided to hop on Google and start searching for a guitar teacher to help initiate the learning process

I typed "Guitar Teachers" in the query window and Google returned with a number of helpful results. The link that I clicked on led to an aggregator's website called Harmony Central that provided a huge list of links to guitar teachers' websites. I followed a number of links to websites that had online instructions, guitar sales, and other promotions. I also looked up a number of retail music stores and online stores where I could buy sheet music. The interesting part of my online experience was when I browsed through websites that represented music academies, retail music stores, and online stores (exclusively selling music on the internet), I was blown away at the horrible web presence these businesses presented online. I'm also positive that all these sites were linked to actual operating businesses; I called them and confirmed their physical address and web domain

What's more surprising is that many of these sites I arrived at were made available through paid online marketing. So these businesses were actually paying search engines (i.e. Google, Yahoo, and MSN), lead aggregators, and affiliates to help drive traffic to their sites. WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!?! Why would you spend money on bringing traffic to your website if you haven't spent the time and resources to ensure your image, message, and design actually make the visitors become your customers? Let me give you an idea of what I saw and why I'm so horrified. The following is a list of some of the aesthetic problems I experienced while browsing these sites.

Missing Identity
A website would simply have no logo at all.

Inappropriate Identity
The identity was obviously not designed by a business savvy graphic artist for the appropriate target market.

Inconsistent Color Scheme

Colors and fonts throughout the website are not standardized and do not compliment the identity.

Low Quality Images

The identity appears as low resolution pictures and graphics.

Generic Fonts

Headings do not stand out because they are in standard system fonts.

Template Look
The site looks generic because it is obviously a template.

Website Pixel Size

Website appears in a small portion of the screen because it is not formatted for modern screen resolution standards.

More Layout Problems

Missing or inconsistent graphics, diagrams, text, broken links, etc.

Quick Tips:

Make your identity apparent on your website.
This will help to create and reinforce brand recognition. With time, your logo/branding/identity will be ingrained in the minds of your visitors leading to improved awareness of your business while also creating an indirect relationship with your clients that will foster trust and favoritism.

Make the identity attractive and appealing to your target audience.
It can represent a specific demographic, certain emotions or expectations, or it can display a need or want. Another popular basis for an identity can be solution oriented; many identities are based on the solution(s) a business provides its clients.

Make the website visual design compliment the identity.
Problems like clashing or inconsistent colors appear unprofessional and sloppy, creating a very negative perception of your brand pushing away visitors that you struggled to attract. They assume that a website that is so unprofessional can't possibly be associated with a reputable company and they continue their search online until they find a company they feel comfortable doing business with.

Don't cut corners on your company identity.
Self-help design does a disservice to your business because every potential client is constantly exposed to top quality branding; they know cheap marketing when they see it and they will judge your company by it. Copying clipart, using a common system font, and picking arbitrary colors is not the way to create the single most important piece of your company marketing. Also, trusting your entire company brand image to an intern or a rookie is a great way to get nowhere slow. Creativity, quality design, experience, and talent are not cheap. They not only require education and skill, but the latest tools. So create a marketing budget, and have a high quality company get you started in the right direction.

Be unique.
An identity is more than just the logo and colors, but also depends heavily on the fonts you use. A company must go to great lengths to ensure their image is unique and custom. Titles, headings, and stylized text throughout a website (or print materials) should be designed as integral parts of the identity that reinforce the unique personality of your brand.

Stay away from templates.
Utilizing design templates takes away from your unique brand image. Not only do templates limit the flexibility associated with customization but the end result is a generic and cheap looking image. A template prevents you from building an online extension of your business; it forces you to build an image and an experience within the generic constraints (colors, dimensions, design elements, fonts, images, etc.) Every business must differentiate itself to have a competitive advantage. A template will simply make you blend in.

Be clear and know your goals.
The structure of a successful website must align the goals of your business along with those of the visitor. An unclear structure will only confuse and repel visitors. Look to the November issue for a detailed discussion of Information Architecture.


Related Tags: marketing, website, branding, online, identity, aesthetics, sputnik, michael hack, advertsing

Michael Hack is an accomplished startup business specialist and experienced sales and marketing executive. With 7 years successfully building multiple startups, Michael has developed large and small businesses around himself while also providing consulting services to many aspiring entrepreneurs. Educated at the prestigious Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo California, he began building businesses within the construction industry while working through college. Michael is now the Director of Sales and Marketing for SPUTNIKSF, a Marketing Communication company that specializes in systemizing the highly technical and dynamic marketing strategies that are essential in today's marketplace. If you ask Mike what he does for a living, he'll tell you "I break down barriers!!!" Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

© The article above is copyrighted by it's author. You're allowed to distribute this work according to the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs license.
 

Recent articles in this category:



Most viewed articles in this category: