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Getting your message across.

In a world where information travels close to the speed of light, it is accessible to nearly everyone, on demand. With so much information bouncing around the globe, simply sharing a great idea, product or service doesn’t cut it. Everyone is sharing something.

Communication has always been an art, but now more than ever it literally needs to be art. To increase the effectiveness of a message, it has to take advantage of technology and creativity to stand out from the usual traffic. But how?

Eight out of ten people start on google when seeking information online and there is no greater source for yours, than your website.

How well is your message conveyed once they arrive?

Does it stand out or feel like every other provider in your space?

This is the point that matters most. The point where visitors either explore your information, or leave. If it’s designed poorly, looks like everyone else’s, or doesn’t perform properly, more than likely they’re on to the next.

So how can creativity help to get your message heard?

Putting on a great performance

A website used to be a simple digital brochure. A logo, slogan, list of services, location and contact information; similar to an ad in the yellow pages (if you can remember what those were).

Now, a website is a performance. A 24/7 show directly reflecting your quality and capabilities. Below are a few modern examples of how to put on the best show possible, so that people don’t only stick around, but give you a standing ovation.

Animation

It brings things to life. It gives your visitors a sense that the website is responding to them, welcoming them, listening to them and ultimately giving them control. Modern web techniques allow animation of various elements from shapes to icons to entire pages. Here’s one great example of how animation brings information to life.

Infographics

Infographics are helpful to counter information overload and increase recall. While they aren’t ideal for every scenario, the psychology behind “why” they work is applicable to all web content. Balancing text with imagery is part of what separates good design, from bad. If you want to know more about infographics, check out this link or this link. They’re an eyeful.

Background Video

A picture is worth a thousand words; and video, at least a thousand times that. As internet browsers have evolved to support background video*, it has also become best practice to use them. Using background video along with foreground messaging, allows you to promote a call to action, while conveying a very specific emotion.

*The only caveat is that mobile and tablet browsers are not quite there yet; but a good web design agency will use static images for fallback on those devices.

Parallax

Parallax has been a buzzword for quite some time now. If you are unfamiliar with it, here’s the simple definition; it allows multiple image layers to move at different speeds based on scrolling and/or mouse position. Parallax is a great addition to storytelling, allowing a visitor to be immersed in an interactive story. Or it can be used to present products in new and unique ways.

Storytelling

All of the above are nothing more than flashy tools without a good story. Story is what makes content work. It takes a good bit of creativity to write, craft and portray a story in its best light. It takes even more work to use technology to tell a story that visitors will never forget. When it all comes together, the results can leave one speechless.

Getting Done

It is important to understand the level of time and expertise required to implement some of the above examples. Most any web agency can embed a background video on your site. How well connected it is to your overall image and content is another story.

There is a lot to be said for boutique agencies vs. large agencies. True creativity takes a certain amount of risk to execute properly. Larger agencies aren’t always willing to navigate away from what is “safe”, and freelancers don’t always have the resources to execute big.

In the end, the quality your site will convey is directly related to the amount you’re willing to invest in the quality of the site itself. If you want to get your message across, invest in quality design. There is no substitute for creativity.

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