Do you know that every piece of data is technically just a collection of 1s and 0s? And yet, those 1s and 0s can be arranged in a certain way so that when you open them, they could act as a calculator, a place where you can type a document or even a webpage. It’s just like books and other pieces of writing. The majority of us are using the same 26 letters but depending on how they’re arranged, they can mean entirely different things and could also bear the hallmark of the person behind the writing.
Just as how the personality of the author can bleed into the writing, it is actually possible for a webpage or an entire website to represent your personality, you just have to be smart with it. Showcasing your identity is actually very important in 21st century web development as they help imbue your website with a sense of authenticity that helps make it easier for users to relate to your business. You can’t love something you don’t know and what better way for people to get to know you than by adding a touch of personality to your website?
Adding a signature touch
In the 21st century economy where free web builders are too numerous to name, anyone with access to internet can reasonably start their own website in a matter of hours. Despite being free, these web builders are in no way cheap-looking and they’re fairly easy to use as well. As a result, you don’t really need an advanced degree in computer science to be able to whip up a fairly sophisticated website to digitally represent your business in the internet.
Now, this isn’t technically a bad thing as a healthy market is what we all want but it does means that you’re going to have to put the extra effort when it comes to your website as simple good looks won’t be enough to make you stand out, your website should also look uniquely yours and that’s where a healthy dose of personality could help. By taking advantage of all the elements in a website; the text, the content and the design of the interface, you can present an experience that communicates what your company is like.
The value you deem to be important, what your company stands for and how your company approach life, these are all elements of your company’s personality that you can and should present in the overall design of your website. The purpose of your website is after all, to communicate every necessary information on your company and isn’t your company’s core identity an inseparable part of your company? A website with zero personality is boring and you’re going to want to liven up the situation by following these simple tips.
Be bold with your “About Us” page
For professional services who might not have the freedom to go wild with their website, the “About Us” page provides a rare opportunity for you to inject some personality to your website. The “About Us” page is probably the one section of your website where you’re not required to be all formal and technical and this is the chance where you can showcase just what your company is actually like. Adding humor might not always be appropriate but there’s plenty of opportunity here to let some of your personality shines through.
Typically, this is the spot where some of the company founders and senior staffs get their chance to shine. Try to include some tidbit on why they started the company in the first place and if appropriate, including some information on what they like to do outside of the professional space could help. Since there won’t be enough space to include photos of every employee, including a group photo of your company could act as a solution and depending on what industry you’re working in, you might not be required to use a formal setting but ultimately, this is up to your discretion.
Blend substance with style
When playing a video game, it’s not rare for me to be disappointed when the game doesn’t play as fun as it looks. This creates a certain kind of dissonance as what you feel isn’t consistent with what you’re seeing on screen and this can also happen in web development where the general tone of the design doesn’t mesh with the tone portrayed in the content. To alleviate this, you want to ensure consistency in both substance and style by establishing a brand guideline and making sure that every facet of your business, including your website, is consistent with this guideline.
Stay away from generic photos
Ideally, you’d want every element in your website to work in tandem with the image you’re trying to portray. Far too often, businesses are content with picking an image that represents their industry as a whole even if they’re actually generic. Original and hand-drawn illustrations are the ideal option if you want to be unique as they can only come from you. If you want to play it safe, using photos of your actual office or some behind-the-scenes footage could also work; just make sure that they don’t look particularly staged.