Branding and marketing your business are a bit of a numbers game. Do the right thing, at the right time, and you’re going to see results that are measurable by numbers. Analytics and specific metrics like ROI and profit margins come blaring through loud and clear. 

When it comes to your web design, the numbers seem pretty straightforward. You can see exactly how many people are landing on your site, and when. You might even be paying attention to where each person who visits your site is coming from. All of this matters. 

But the number of visitors landing on your site isn’t the only measure of the success of your web design. What happens once they land there is also hugely influential for building your brand online. The longer you keep visitors lingering, the greater your chances of nurturing them along to conversion. fWhat’s going to keep them there the longest?

The answer is sleek, attractive and high-performing web design. 

The Importance of Function and Aesthetics In Modern Web Design

Some businesses naturally get a little uneasy when the words “sleek” or “modern” are mentioned. They take it to mean that they need to completely rebrand their businesses and redesign their website to create a new image that doesn’t necessarily align with their brand values. 

That’s not what we’re talking about here. It’s about understanding how to approach web design so it delivers your brand while featuring the aesthetics that appeal to the modern digital consumer. This isn’t as much about colors or typography as it is about focusing on relevancy and user experience, along with removing the elements that fail to contribute any real value. 

At the end of the day, you have a mere few seconds to make an immediate positive impression with each person that lands on your site. You don’t want to waste time or resources, so you need to narrow in on the strategies that are going to enhance the functionality and aesthetics of your website to start generating noticeable results immediately.  

These seven tips and tricks for sleek web design are all you need to get started. 

Getting Rid of the Clutter

Clutter in your web design isn’t always as obvious as you might think. It can be anything from one too many blocks of text, and unnecessary animations to clunky stock images that don’t really align with your brand. 

Look at your site and make sure that every element on each page has a purpose that fuels movement toward the visitor’s next step in the customer journey. If the intent isn’t obvious, or it stands out in a way that’s too distracting, it’s time to get it out of there. 

Be Purposeful with Visuals

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a video is supposedly worth millions. Advice about the importance of visual content is rampant on the internet. Just like everything else, images and video need to have a purpose, and should align with your brand intent and goals. It’s actually better to limit the visuals on your site than to include ones that are of inferior quality or lack any real intent. 

This doesn’t mean you can’t pack a visual punch with stock material – you just need to invest the time in finding the right content that elevates the aesthetics and performance of your website. 

Get More Bang From Your Homepage 

It used to be that the area “above the fold” on a site’s homepage was prime real estate, and a lot of sites attempted to leverage this space by packing in as much as possible. Modern web design, specifically scrollable home pages, has changed this. 

You can maximize the performance of your homepage by implementing a scrollable web design that enables you to break the page into 3-5 key sections that hit on all the essentials a new visitor wants to know about your business, without overstimulating them at the same time. 

Painless Navigation

If a visitor can’t find easily find what they’re looking for, they’re less likely to stick around. There’s only so much effort they’re willing to invest, and if navigating your site is difficult – what does that say about your business in general?

Simplified navigation is key, especially for mobile customers who don’t have the luxury of a larger screen to navigate from. 

Embrace White Space

Modern web design takes into account the value of white space. White space can be described as the silent areas of your web pages – the spots where nothing exists but provide a necessary visual break. 

White space is important for a few reasons. First, it gives the visitor’s eyes a place to rest, which is important. Secondly, when used properly, white space leads the visitor’s eyes directly where you want them to go – such as a video or call to action.

Appeal to Your Mobile Audience

The segment of your audience that’s coming to you through mobile devices is growing, and this is true no matter what your industry or target demographic. Web design that looks and responds stunningly on mobile is no longer an option – it’s a necessity. 

Responsive design, which allows your website to adapt to any device and screen size, enables you to provide a seamless customer experience to each of your visitors, every time they land on your site. 

Keep Content Fresh

Content carries a lot of weight in your marketing strategy, and it’s smart to create content that attracts and entices new customers. However, you also need to be thinking about the repeat visitor. They’re only going to consume the same content so many times before they want something more. Your content strategy needs to take this into consideration. 

It’s also important to revisit your static website content periodically and freshen it up. Your business naturally evolves over time, and your content should keep pace. This might include investing in video to replace some older content. 

Get Web Design that Elevates Your Brand Online

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of a sleek, performance-based website for elevating your brand online. We’re the Boston branding agency that’s ready to work with you to discover what your business needs to stand out, attract traffic and fuel conversion. Contact our Boston responsive web design team at GoingClear and learn more about our small business website design packages today.