Week 1 : Leave your Ego at the Door
Sit down and click through your website. What do you see? How do you feel on each page? Website Magazine had an interesting article, The Psychology of Motivation by Teajai Kimsey Stradley, on how people's emotions play a big role in their online buying and perusing of the web.
If your website is evoking a negative feeling to the viewer, there is a less likely chance they will make it past the home page, and an even slimmer chance theyll come back. So, your aim should be to make the viewers experience positive and easy.
Here are 3 easy tips to start you off:
1. Font Size
You shouldnt need a magnifying glass to enjoy a website, nor should you have to back away because you feel like the content is too in your face.
Make it simple, stick with a 12-14px size font for the main text.
2. Font Types
Simple, easy to read fonts are more times than not the winner in this category. People tend to skim over hard to read fonts making them less likely to digest the material.
Check out these findings by Researchers, Hyunjin Song and Norbert Schwarz, on when to use Simple Fonts and when Fancy Fonts are appropriate.
3. Color
Color on websites is great, but dont get carried away. Be aware that colors may conjure varied emotions in viewers. Dark or dull websites may make a viewer feel down and less likely to buy a product or engage with your website. On the flip side, sites that are too bright or have too many colors may make a viewer feel anxious and uncomfortable. Try instead to add playful color to action boxes or with images.
Color Scheme Designer is a great tool to keep in your belt when figuring out what colors can go together!
Stay tuned for next week's tip: Have a Little Help from our Friends
