{"id":2994,"date":"2024-03-15T16:05:09","date_gmt":"2024-03-15T21:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.weblinxinc.com\/blog\/"},"modified":"2024-07-11T11:46:19","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T16:46:19","slug":"myth-4-every-website-should-be-unique-and-edgy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.weblinxinc.com\/blog\/myth-4-every-website-should-be-unique-and-edgy\/","title":{"rendered":"Myth #4: Every Website Should Be Unique and Edgy"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few years ago, a startling statistic started to make its way around the internet. It says, essentially, that the average first-time visitor to a website will leave after just three seconds<\/em> if they aren\u2019t impressed. This number has been floating around in lots of places, but we\u2019ll credit Forbes<\/a> for having the most popular reference.<\/p>\n

Before we move on, let\u2019s start by saying that the three-seconds statistic is entirely believable to us. In fact, in a world with 5G and broadband connections all over the place, things might be moving even faster.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, we think a lot of business professionals and marketers have taken the wrong message from that figure, not to mention all the other studies that have given similar results. That\u2019s because a kind of conventional wisdom has risen from it. Basically, it states that your website has to stand out, with its unique design and function, in order to keep potential customers on the page.<\/p>\n

\"web<\/p>\n

You absolutely want to impress the people who are seeing your website and meeting your company for the first time. But as we hope, we will show in this article, being \u201cdifferent\u201d for the sake of it probably isn\u2019t the best way forward.<\/p>\n

Web Design Standards Exist for a Reason<\/h2>\n

As with all the myths in these articles, the idea that every website design needs to be totally unique carries with it a grain of truth. If your pages look generic, or come from a common template, then you are going to blend in with the crowd. It\u2019s never good marketing to look just like everyone else.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s particularly true online. The internet is built on creativity and innovation. What seems to be massively impressive at first glance becomes boring after you\u2019ve seen it done for the millionth time. It\u2019s always good to be pushing the envelope in your market or industry.<\/p>\n

However, you can easily go too far. While good design sets you apart from the competition, changes to convention can be confusing or even frustrating. In other words, you can and should have a website that looks great, but it should operate in a way that all other websites do.<\/p>\n

For a simple analogy, think about an exotic sports car. It might have doors that curve upward instead of opening outward, and the lines might be sleek. What car manufacturers won\u2019t do, though, is change the position of a gas pedal or reduce visibility through a window. They don\u2019t mess with the things that people use intuitively because it would be both unsafe and unnecessary.<\/p>\n

Think the same way when it comes to your website. It\u2019s perfectly fine to decide you want to open your page with a video instead of a hero image, or to go against the grain when it comes to the fonts and colors that are normally used by other business owners in your space. But you don\u2019t want things to be so different that customers can\u2019t figure out how to use your website in the first place.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go back to the three-seconds statistic that we referenced in the opening. When you actually look into the kinds of surveys and studies that are done, you find that someone will only wait a few seconds for a website to load. That doesn\u2019t mean they won\u2019t take a moment to check out the content and see if it\u2019s right for them; just that they will click away if the content isn\u2019t available at all.<\/p>\n

That speaks to the importance of good web hosting, of course. It also points to a bigger truth, which is that online visitors have a very low tolerance for frustration. So, by attempting to make your website \u201cdifferent\u201d just for the sake of it you are actually increasing the odds that potential buyers will leave. That\u2019s because it gets frustrating for them if they can\u2019t find things like links and search bars where they would normally be.<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re on the subject, it\u2019s also worth pointing out that there are certain accessibility guidelines that every organization should adhere to. Recently, the Americans with Disabilities Act (or ADA) has been interpreted to include websites. So, if you aren\u2019t following industry conventions with regard to easy-to-read text, obvious visual cues, and compatibility with disability-focused browsers, you can actually be sued. Even if that weren\u2019t the case, it would make sense to appeal to as many types of customers as possible.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s true that good web design is all about innovation. However, basic standards and practices exist for reasons so it\u2019s a good idea to follow them.<\/p>\n

The Right Way to Get an Edge on the Competition<\/h3>\n

Visit any major city in America and you\u2019ll find a handful of restaurants that exist solely for foodies. These are the places that serve asparagus foam on seaweed crackers instead of burgers and pizzas\u2026 and charge huge prices for those offbeat dishes. We have nothing against these sorts of establishments, nor the people who eat at them. What we can point out, though, is that they are rarely as profitable as the packed places that are a bit more down to earth.<\/p>\n

We think of that difference sometimes when we consider the design awards that are given out in our industry. Again, we\u2019re not saying these accolades aren\u2019t fun and valuable (we\u2019ve won many). Instead, our point is that the framed certificates aren\u2019t as valuable as the word-of-mouth we get from satisfied customers who have seen their companies grow from the work we\u2019ve done with them.<\/p>\n

The most popular restaurants thrive by introducing local twists of established favorites. They use fresh ingredients and deliver great service. They focus as much on friendliness as they do flame control. If you want to surpass your online competition then we would urge you to do the same. Think about how your website can be better<\/em>, not just different<\/em>.<\/p>\n

In reality, that almost always comes down to one of three things: introducing new functionality, offering stronger content, and\/or being more intentional about your branding. To put that another way, your website should be able to do things your competitors\u2019 websites don\u2019t, give out more and better information, and look like it belongs to your specific company.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t a complicated formula, but it\u2019s easy to overlook when you are too busy trying to emphasize creativity. Think about your very best customer. Now think about the website they would most want to find and use. Imagine them scrolling through the pages, clicking the links, and reading the content. The chances are good that what your ideal buyer needs isn\u2019t something that hasn\u2019t been dreamed up before. What they want are fast and accurate solutions to their problems. If something feels like a puzzle, it isn\u2019t going to be helpful to them.<\/p>\n

In some ways, leaning on creativity and unconventional thinking can be a crutch. That\u2019s because it\u2019s always easy to change visuals or go bold with headlines when what you should be doing is getting to know more about your market. As I\u2019ve already mentioned in the past, business owners love looking at visuals. They are less interested in answering detailed questions about their work or thinking about topics like website programming.<\/p>\n

You should absolutely be looking to get an edge on your competition when you launch a new website. If it looks better than theirs does, that\u2019s fantastic. But what matters most is that it does a better job of serving your customers \u2013 and by extension, does more to help take your business into a higher gear of profitability.<\/p>\n

Distinct and Different Don\u2019t Mean the Same Things<\/h3>\n

You want your next website to stand out, but for the right reasons. After all, you notice plenty of people in a day, but not always in a way that feels impressive or complementary. Going too far out there with your web design is like making an odd fashion choice in a business setting. You have to be very sure the move is going to come off before you commit to it.<\/p>\n

Keep this in mind as you look at mock pages and give direction to your creative team. Think about your customers, the industry and geographic area you work in, and the kind of tone you want to set for your business.<\/p>\n

If it turns out that you really do want to do something different and be offbeat, that\u2019s just fine. And if your creative partner comes up with something that\u2019s both cutting-edge and useful to your business, then run with it. But when it comes down to it, always prioritize value and functionality over everything else. That\u2019s what buyers want, and what matters in the end.<\/p>\n

You want your website to be distinct, but that doesn\u2019t mean it has to be different from all the others in the way that it looks and performs. In fact, going too far outside the box might just confuse customers and end up costing you new leads or sales.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few years ago, a startling statistic started to make its way around the internet. It says, essentially, that the average first-time visitor to a website will leave after just three seconds if they aren\u2019t impressed. 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