Webupon

Is it Sexy?

It dawned on me that I typically design web pages according to what appeals to me.  And while I think my design sense is pretty good, I began to wonder if I was truly reaching my target audiences through these designs.  Sure, web design has come a long way, giving us the ability to have truly visually appealing elements via the browser.  But are most sites out there geared toward the tech-junkie or is this simply the nature of the web?  I am currently developing a web site for a ceramic tile manufacturer – sounds sexy, huh?  Well, why should it not be?  After all, who is the primary decision-maker for tile selection? The women, of course!

After doing some browsing, I have come to the conclusion that there are basic components to a site’s construction and design that need to be in place no matter who the audience is.  Then, there is the issue of branding.  If the company’s brand is geared toward a certain consumer, then their website should be an offshoot of that brand.  Too many times though, not much thought has gone into the brand and the site is a painfully obvious reflection of that mistake.

Clean and Simple

So what makes a site great?  No matter what, clean design is the best.  Not to say that extravagant or complex designs cannot be pleasing to the eye, but a user comes to the web for information.  The harder you make it to “experience” the site and drive the user to the right page, the less effective your site becomes.  I am really loving rounded corners these days, breaking out of the boxy table structures of the 1990’s.  But clean lines can also work, as long as the overall design is crisp.

For example, take a look at twitter’s current design. Rounded corners with simple logos, text placement, and color scheme.   Remember the old MySpace?  Looks like they have picked up on some of theses types of design techniques for their current site.  But if you notice, the site still seems “clunky.”  Too many objects, pictures, and links on a page makes a user feel overwhelmed.  This is where Facebook did it right.  Each user has a similar experience.  The customization comes with the content not the site design, unlike their rival that lets users dangerously tweak their page to the point it is not even legible.   Navigation must be easy as well, but that gets into a whole other article.

To Brand, or Not to Brand

So, back to the original question: Does your site match your brand?  Seems that most sites indeed match what has been established as a brand.  A website can be a company’s main extension or platform for the brand.  But like the tile industry, maybe the brand does not match the target.  Take a look at the following site: www.floridatile.com.

Now, take a look at this site: www.blissflooring.com.

See the difference?  The bliss brand was created with a focus on women.  That logo looks more like a cosmetic graphic than a floor covering brand.  But why are there still sites like the former out there?  A cosmetic company does not have a brand that says “chemicals and labs.” Why should a flooring company have a brand that says “corporate, stale, and cold?”

So Now What?

Go out and make sure your brand fits who you are trying to reach.  It will do no good to have a website that reflects one branding and all your other brand efforts communicate something completely different.  Your brand must be consistent.  But once you have a brand that is well defined in its target, make sure your website mirrors that effort.  For me, it has been the process of looking at web designs that has me thinking about how the brand should be.  Now, it is back to the drawing board.