There are hundreds – if not thousands – of new sites being launched every day; the World Wide Web is really a crowded place, and there are millions of other sites competing for the same audience segment as yours. Standing out from the crowd isn’t an easy task, but it is not an impossible one to achieve either.
Creating a truly unique site doesn’t have to mean building everything from scratch. You can still use WordPress or Joomla as your core CMS. You can also rely on the themes and templates available here on Templates.com as a starting point. The personal touches you add after that are what really count towards making your site stand out.
Original Illustrations
One of the best ways to make your site unique and really represent your brand – personal or business brand – is by using original illustrations and photos. Sure, you can always use stock photos and vector designs to simplify the web design process, but you can get much better results by investing more time into creating original visuals.
There is another advantage of using original visuals for your site, and that is the stronger relationship you will be able to build with the audience. Viewers really appreciate the originality in a website and its content. You’ll be surprised by how much changing stock photos with ones you take yourself and investing in original illustrations can boost your user engagement level.
Stick to a Look
Branding is another important element to add to your website if you want to make it unique and appealing. When it comes to branding, we can learn a lot from online casinos and their websites. Visit a casino online, and then another, and another one after that. Notice how the online casinos you visit basically offer the same services, but their websites still appear unique.
This is because each online casino incorporates a theme – a specific look that really represents their brand – in order to stand out from the competition. That same look can be seen as you dig deeper and try the online casino gaming software or platform. You can use this approach and incorporate your brand into a look that users will recognise.
Break Some Rules
Forget about sticking with design rules for a change. Sometimes, you have to break those rules to design a website that users love and remember. There have been plenty of websites that became memorable specifically because they use unusual layouts, unique animations, and elements that aren’t used by other websites on the market.
Animations in particular are useful when you are trying to create a uniquely positive feel and user experience. The latest trend is adding small, tactile animations that respond to users’ actions. You are basically creating a much more intimate interaction between the web elements and the users, causing them to feel positive and happy when browsing through your site.
At the end of the day, the way users feel when using your site is what they will remember the most. By using original visuals, incorporating a unique look or theme, and breaking some rules along the way, you can fine-tune the way your website feels.