At its core, web design is a technical entity that requires a clearly-defined skill-set and knowledge base. From the development of templates to techniques such as optimisation, these unique skills remain central to the creation of any successful website.
Creating a website is a complex process, however, and one that requires more than technical proficiency alone. You can also use psychology to dictate the design of your site, for example, in a bid to influence consumers and their behaviour.
3 Ways in Which Psychology Drives Web Design
The question that remains is how exactly can psychology be used to influence the design of your website? Here are three examples: –
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Recognise That Concise Content Inspires Clear Thinking
While it is widely accepted that content has the power to engage both consumers and stakeholders alike, its effectiveness depends largely on execution. So while developers used to focus on populating landing pages with huge swathes of data, this typically had an adverse effect in the minds of consumers and tended to inspire confusion, chaos and high bounce rates.
Instead, it is far more effective to create concise and targeted content that simplifies the customer journey. This approach helps to inspire clear thinking among consumers, enabling them to make rapid purchasing decisions and improving your conversion rates in the process!
It also helps if you use a diverse range of rich media within your content, with imagery, video and even animations capable of bringing your messaging to life.
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Colour Influences the Outlook and Mood of Your Consumers
Buying products and paying for services often represent emotive decisions, which can be influenced by a number of visual factors. Colour is one of the most prominent, as variable shades and tones influence the mood of customers and determines the outlook that they assume during their journey.
There has been significant research within this field, with bolder shades such as red known to incite passion and energy. In contrast, pastel tones such as pale blue and yellow create a feeling of calm, which may lend itself to more serious serious, higher-end purchasing decisions. The key is to apply colour strategically on specific landing pages depending on the CTA (call-to-action), as the excessive or erroneous use of shades can overwhelm customers and deter them from making a purchase.
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White Space Can Be Used to Solicit Specific Actions
On the issue of colour and CTAs, the use of white space is also an important consideration. This has become increasingly commonplace in the field of web design, while it plays a pivotal role in influencing the consumer psyche when they browse sites online.
In simple terms, white spaces are blank areas that can be positioned on individual landing pages to create a clearly-defined funnel of information. This guides customers through their shopping experience in a structured and logical manner, while also maintaining clear thought patterns at all times.
It also creates a visually appealing contrast with areas of text, video and imagery, while drawing the customer’s attention to actionable icons, crucial CTAs and critical pieces of data. This can have a direct bearing on the rate of sales conversions, particularly in competitive markets where customers have been bombarded with information!