Less is More

Ever go to a carnival in full swing? How about Las Vegas? Through all of the lights, the people, the noise, the movement - it can be hard to focus on just one thing, but that's exactly what your visitors came for. Try not to overwhelm them - keep it simple.

It has to look great - everywhere.

More and more people are visiting web sites from mobile devices. These have smaller screens and operate with touch rather than a mouse. Making your web site adapt to different screen sizes is called "responsive design." We'll keep this in mind as we design your site so it works and looks great.

Keep it brief.

We have a lot to say. After all, we're excited about our business, but too much content can overwhelm your vistors. Strike a balance between describing your passion and providing your visitors what they came for. We'll encourage your visitors to stay and look around in more subtle ways.

Colors - much like animations - should be used judiciously.

Color is a surprisingly subjective thing. People can perceive colors slightly differently - not just folks with different variants of colorblindness. You may have even recently come across that post about the Color of a Dress. We should also remember it's the last thing that human eyes register. We see movement first, then recognizable shapes, and finally color. Focus on content and select colors to complement that content and help guide your visitors gently. Highly saturated colors (think intense colors) are like using a hammer - they're not usually necessary and can even cause anxiety. Anxious people are not comfortable; uncomfortable people tend to leave sooner rather than later.

Visitors need to find what they came for - quickly.

You know you've done this: you go in the other room for one thing, you get there and you've forgotten what it was - you've been distracted. Or you go looking for something that you simply can't find. It's frustrating. By keeping your site clean, we'll give your visitors the opportunity to find what they came for (hours, services, menus, etc.) and give them a chance to learn more while they're here.

Fonts - we love 'em, too - but don't overdo it.

While I was getting ready to write this, a perfect example came up - The 2017 Oscars and the Best Picture award. Benjamin Bannister does a great write up in his article The Oscars Showed Us Why Typography Matters. But here's the short version: the fonts and their placement guide a visitor's eyes and attention. We need to keep this in mind as we design your site.

A picture's worth a thousand words - don't give your visitors too much to read.

Pictures are fantastic. They're supremely descriptive. Use them to supplement your descriptions. Keep in mind that pictures aren't easily searchable so they don't contribute as much when trying to draw visitors. Use them to engage and describe.

Consider also that a background image should be less saturated (less intense) so as not to distract from your text and the direction you're trying to guide your visitors.

Animations and movement are fun, but too much can be distracting.

Much like that carnival atmosphere, an excess of animation can pull your visitor's attention away from their goal. Help them find what they came for and give them something to pique their interest and keep them browsing.