Web Design: Propose an Online Personality

Web design firms like Tampa Web Development agencies, are looking into more ways to ‘personalize’ websites. Customization is nothing new; it’s what every company or business wants. Web developers constantly struggle with ideas and themselves in trying to create the best user experience there is. However, with the amount of competition in cyberspace, it’s not only challenging to make a page stand out – it’s hard to keep the visitor traffic steady. For successful websites, their secret isn’t only about beautiful HD images, flexible grids, or programming concepts used – the ‘real’ secret is with the user.

Living with Technology

Nowadays, people usually get stuck behind glass screens half the day and hardly realize the hours that flew by. With all this time and effort spent online, users do only either of two things that web developers should keep in mind: they either stay at a favorite site; or browse through numerous pages. The challenge is to have users find the client’s page, like it to the point that they’ll keep coming back, and stay. How is this possible?

Make It Human

Humans are social creatures who will always crave for attention and social interaction. Although the average person spends around four to six hours a day on the internet, most of that time is spent on catching up with friends and family through social media, chatting, reading forums and/or blogs, and checking e-mails – all of which are in a way, a form of human interaction (albeit impersonal). Much like a lover desires to catch the attention of a potential partner, design firms should aim to create a user experience that ‘responds’ like a human (hence, the trend on responsive websites). 

Human-Computer Interaction, as it is referred to, combines science, human psychology and behavior, with programming elements. By studying how humans interact with each other on a daily basis, programmers and web designers could somehow simulate the same emotions felt during these contacts and apply them to a website design. 

Online Authority

In real life, people are attracted to one another not only through looks but more importantly, because of personality. Each person is different, even identical twins. A website should behave in such a way as well to spark positive emotions in a user and thereby, making them regulars in a client website. There are several points to make it work.

• Just like humans, the website’s name is important. It’s how it is identified online. 
• With the name comes a brief summary or description about the company/business. This should answer the question: “what’s behind that name?” 
• A name needs a face. Pick a good one – something friendly and inviting, warm and welcoming. Keep these in mind when choosing images or graphic designs. 
• Behind the face is a set of key traits that makes a person tick. A company website is something similar. Is the beautifully calm façade a prelude to a serious persona? Or is the toned-down look actually something fun and vibrant? Be specific about how to present this character to a probable viewer.

In terms of the overall design and development of the website, always think about the user and how he would feel upon stumbling across the page for the first time.