5 examples of excellent web design and what we can learn from them

Why do we care so much about web design?

A good design can make the difference between a website and a space where visitors convert into long-term customers. Your website is a virtual business card, and you only have 15 seconds to make an unforgettable first impression.

So, it is easy to understand why it is advisable to dedicate time, resources and some drops of creativity to create your site. Good news?
The rules of an excellent site are really simple. In fact, as the famous architect Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe used to say, "Less is more" - less is more.

In this article we will analyze 5 of the great homepages found on the internet - we will discuss what they do well, what could be improved (if necessary) and what we can do now to be one step closer to our goal : creating an excellent website.

5 examples of excellent homepages and why we like them so much

Dropbox

The Dropbox homepage is as simple and seemingly mundane as possible - exactly what we want. Behind the simplicity, the pastel colors and the limited text, we find exactly what we are looking for: everything. Information about the service, how it helps you solve file storage problems, and how easy it is to use.

In just a few scrolls you learned everything you need to know about Dropbox. And if your question is niche, the homepage ends with a FAQ section. In addition, the gifs from each subcategory introduce you to the world of the application - without realizing it, you already receive a demo of what you could experience as a user.

Simple, mundane, minimalist - but full of valuable information. This is the secret to creating a great website.

Headspace

How do you create a website that promotes meditation, purity of mind, and peace? With a range of warm colors, with smiling characters, with direct and simple explanations. This is exactly what we find on the Headspace website. A place where an abstract concept is simplified into categories of interest to a potential user.

Even if you have never meditated before, in just a few lines you understand exactly what Headspace promises you: better sleep, "happiness increased by up to 16%", a community of people like you.

Furthermore. the characters you see on the front page are ubiquitous in all their promotional materials. Thus, it keeps its brand image consistently, while explaining potentially complicated things (happiness, calm, how brain meditation works) in animations that are easy to follow, to understand, to promote further.

Word of mouth - no matter how new, revolutionary and unseen the product or service you sell is, your website needs to be able to quickly explain what you do.

As Einstein said, "if you can't explain it in a simple way, it means you didn't understand either."

Fitness Blender

Fitness Blender is a fitness application (which initially started on Youtube), created by a couple: Keli and Daniel Segars - and this is clear since you first entered the site. You are greeted by their smiling faces urging you to try their exercises - absolutely free!

At a glance you realize that here you find everything you need in terms of fitness - sports, nutrition, a community of people like you. The access buttons for any of these features are handy, and remain at the top of the page, even when scrolling down.

And because the sport can be overwhelming for beginners, the pre-set programs are immediately found, created for different types of needs. All this information, of course, provided by the same two smiling faces that you saw in the first second on the site - giving the impression of safety and trust.

Community, help, value - the more your site finds the balance between professional and personal, the closer people will feel to you and your brand.

Lyft

Lyft is an already well-established brand, fully known in the countries in which it operates. So, their site applies a unique approach - instead of focusing on information, a lot of text and special offers, they greet you with a clip.

A clip that includes nature, beautiful images of the city, a sense of security and calm. Lyft does not want to persuade you to turn to them, but wants to show you how you will feel when you choose to work with them - as a driver or passenger.

Below the clip you will find 3 access buttons, with the most important information for the user: "Our approach to safety", "Access to transport" and, most importantly, "Apply to drive". As simple and straightforward as possible.

Once your brand is known, there is no need to focus on information. Emotion is the point of differentiation between you and your competitors - creating a website must be done in equal measure with emotion and strategy.

Simply Chocolate

How do you attract the customer when your product can only be tested in taste? With an interactive website, vibrant colors and explicitly displayed ingredients, alongside each product. So does Simply Chocolate, a Danish company that produces chocolate products.

Although you can't taste the products on the screen, you don't feel that you are far from them - each chocolate bar is displayed on the whole page, along with the representative color and images of the ingredients, which move easily in the background. In the upper left corner, you will find a list of the ingredients of each bar - it is impossible not to start to feel their taste, without even knowing them personally.

You even have the option to "unpack" the package, to see the contents, to take a "mouthful" (by scrolling down). You have, practically, a very real experience, in just a few seconds spent on the site.

Even if the products you sell need to be tested in reality to convince the customer of their high quality, it does not mean that in creating your website can not include a realistic simulation - using colors, graphics and music, you can invite the user into the magical world. of your products.

So what can we do now?

To make a correct website we do not need a mind of genius, a huge budget or a team of dozens of people. You need to know your product / service very well, to maintain a consistent brand image and to turn to professional people who can translate this into the digital world.

As a general rule, here are some things to keep in mind:

Website purpose - remember that the texts, colors and functionality of the site are focused on the needs of the target audience;

Simplicity - make sure you don't complicate things in vain (remember Einstein's words). You can highlight vital elements with colors, fonts, images and sounds;

Navigation - probably the most important element. Regardless of the beauty of the design, functionality should be the number one priority;

Mobile friendly - more than half of your site visitors will use browsing on a mobile device. Make sure your web pages are optimized for both desktop and mobile;

Content - the texts on the site must be concise, valuable, to the point. Choose to convince the customer in just a few words, not to bore him with kilometric texts. Remember, you only have 15 seconds;

Conclusions:

An excellent web design starts before you start programming - you need to know who you are, what you want to convey, who your target customers are. Then, a dedicated team can take care of implementing your ideas - and turn them into a digital work of art.

If you want to talk about creating a great website together, write to us here. You can find more articles as good as this one here.

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