How to Un-Boring Your Website

Companies differ. They differ wildly in the services or products they sell, they differ in their price points, and they differ in their values. Even if, for example, two companies both sell rattan chairs, chances are that one will be ethically sourced; the other insanely durable, and they’ll appeal to different audiences as a result. And yet, one glance online will reveal a line-up of uninspired, homogenous websites, as different to each other as magnolia is to white.

There is hope though. At SO Marketing, we don’t believe that websites have to be uniformed to look professional, and we envision a future where every brand has its own uniquely tailored website. It’s time to take ‘boring’ out of ‘branding’, and so, in the words of Vo5, let’s ‘break the mould’.

1. Use Video
   Let your opening gambit be a 40 second showreel of your company’s products and achievements, and we guarantee that visitors will stick around to see it through. People are used to browsing static text and imagery when they visit a business’s site, and so anything else will be classed as a refreshing change. Your only job is to make sure it’s entertaining. Pick a great track, hire an experienced videographer, and don’t overload it with information.
2. Invert the rules
   Classic web design principles are as follows: logo in the top left-hand side, menu in the top right, banner image in the middle and content underneath. It’s a well-tested formula, but boy can it be dull, and it certainly won’t be winning your business any branding awards. Instead, try moving one of your key elements somewhere unexpected. We’re not suggesting that you tuck your logo away in the small print of course, but having it, say, in the middle of your home page, creates an arresting point of interest. As with every creative endeavour, it’s important to know the rules of web design. But then again, it’s important to know when to break them, too.
3. Reimagine your layout
   Grids are fine, rectangles are fine, and sliding banner images are fine, too. But sometimes its ok to try something different. We suggest grabbing some pens and paper, and completely reimagining what a ‘website layout’ should look like. Use circles, invert your order and vary the sizes of your banners. If you’re working with our design team, then they’ll be able to guide you through what is and what isn’t realistic. But in the first, hopeful stages of the process we believe that there should be absolutely no limits.

4. Step away from stock themes
   When you first browse WordPress or Squarespace, the pre-designed layouts seem endless, but on closer inspection, they all start to look a bit samey, don’t they? Stock themes are fine for personal portfolios or blogs, but when it comes to your business, you don’t want to risk having the same look as a competitor. A bespoke website is something that you’ll capitalise on for many years, and what’s more, if you go with SO Marketing, it’s probably better value than you think.

SO Marketing builds non-boring websites for businesses, and can provide other useful branding services too. With over 900 websites to our name, we’re pretty experienced at bringing companies to life online, and we promise to entertain even the craziest of design suggestions.