Can an original website be practical?

Do you want a website that doesn't look like every ones elses website? I don't blame you. And I can help you with that. But first we have to talk about why most of them look the same.

From the visitors point of view

We humans like order and familiarities. Also in websites. The trends we see today comes from testing and results. If a layout gets great results, other will copy that and do the same. When more and more sites look the same, the site becomes more practical. You know where to find the menu, the contact information, the product information and you can use more time learning about the content than finding it.

From your point of view

If your budget is tight, a predetermined layout can save you money. The Designer don't have to worry about layout and the developer can use already made code.

But it can be harder to stand out. And if you're not careful the new company next door can look like they have just as much experience as you do, even if you have done this for 20 years longer. And if you use the wrong template, people can associate your site with something completely different than what you are selling.

I try and solve this with quality details. You want the visitor to feel that they are at the right place before they read a word. This is something they feel within 3 second after the site is loaded.

Do the layout represent your branch. Do the colors represent you branch. Is the logo sporty or does it show authority? Are the use of images and typography correct and do the animations represent what you are selling?

All of these things are important for the visitors first impressions and they don't even notice them. They just stay on the website.

What I try to do

I use a lot of references. Everyday I look at websites and sometimes I find sites I like. The layout is often not original at all, is how the layout is used. This is what I try and learn from. To find the details that let the site stand out. I don't use templates. Every website I make I start of from scratch. This give me a steep learning curve and it keeps me from going in the same footsteps over and over again.