First Things First – Branding Elements
The key visual branding elements are your colour palette and typography (font pairings). To select the best colours for your brand, take a step back and reflect on your brand’s values, mission, and vision. This helps you get to the essence of what your brand stands for—and more importantly, what emotion you’d like your brand to evoke in those who visit your site, for example, the essence of your brand can be conveyed with these 3 words: Elegant, simple, and welcoming.
Once you’ve established this, it becomes the foundation of all future decisions about your brand, including colours, fonts, voice/tone, etc. When you’re ready to choose your colours, don’t just stare at a colour wheel and pick randomly—consult color psychology to guide your decision. The same goes for fonts—font psychology is just as important.
Investing a little time here is not only a fun and introspective exercise (fun for me) but also highly rewarding. It ensures that people experience your brand in a more intentional way.
Don’t Overlook This One: Above the Fold
It’s human nature to want to make a good impression, right? You’ve heard of the 3-second rule (give or take)? It only takes someone a short time to form a first impression—this applies to your website, too. That’s where the concept of “Above the Fold” comes in.
The information that appears above the fold (before visitors scroll downward) should present the most critical details and an action to take. Visitors need to quickly determine if your site has what they’re looking for.
So, what are they looking for?
- Who you are
- What you do
- How you help
- Who you help
- What action to take
It seems simple—and it is. Keep it clear and to the point.
Move Things Around: The Layout
Your layout is a creative aspect that you can play with. It involves rearranging elements like headings, subheadings, body text, paragraphs, sections, and images. For example, if you have text-heavy pages, consider breaking up the content to create interest and reduce the overwhelm some people might feel when faced with large blocks of text.
- Break the text into smaller sections or paragraphs in logical places
- Use columns or add photos to create visual interest
- Enlarge key points to emphasize important content
- Use different background colors for various sections to organize the page
Get creative! Move things around to create a flow of information that reads well, and is visually appealing.
Bonus Tip:
If you haven’t set this up yet, consider adding a few simple automations to your website to streamline tasks behind the scenes. For example, if you run a service-based business, make it easy for clients to pay by adding convenient payment links. Similarly, integrate a calendar link so visitors can schedule appointments without the hassle of back-and-forth emails. These small automations save time and make the customer experience smoother.
The Takeaway
Refreshing a website may be necessary, but it doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be a creative and inspiring endeavor for you—or for someone you delegate it to. And it can be as easy as focusing on three key areas:
- Branding elements
- Above the Fold
- Layout
It’s also a good idea to keep your website dynamic by updating it regularly. For example, refresh your profile description and image, adjust offers and pricing, add freebies, or write a monthly blog or article.
And of course, don’t forget to add some automations—they’ll save you time and make your life easier. 😉