WEB DESIGN MAGIC: FIVE VITAL VISUAL CUES THAT SPEAK TO YOUR USER’S SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

We’ve all done it: Headed to a website to find something—then left within seconds because we couldn’t find it fast enough.

Viewer abandonment is death to the sales process.

And that’s why every web developer should pay attention to the visual cues that are processed subconsciously, but that make your user’s journey effortless.

Here are five, to start with:

Data-driven cues. Look at your user data to see what content is most popular, then create navigation cues that make it easy for your viewer to get there. For example, if “Jobs” is your most visited page, make that word easy to spot—and make sure some are "above the fold".
Color. Color gives the human brain more information to process than black and white, so use it strategically to guide your viewer. On our website, for example, we have client logos in black and white, and our work samples in color—because this draws the eye first to our portfolio work, which is what our viewers initially want to see.
Calls to action. Don’t make your viewers hunt for these. Use buttons to sprinkle CTA’s like “buy now,” “contact us,” or “donate” generously throughout the site, making it easy for viewers to click from wherever they are on your site. Remember that mobile requires a longer scroll, so make sure your CTA’s appear frequently enough to satisfy your mobile reader.
Type format. People generally look at pictures first, then browse headlines, subheads, bulleted lists, callouts, captions, and other shortcut content. They'll start with the largest and boldest type, then move to the smaller type—so use your boldest type for your most important, targeted message.
Images. A picture is absolutely the most efficient way to convey a message, so choose images wherever they can replace text. There are times when a photo or illustration can replace lengthy paragraphs of text! Your photos are your star performers, so invest in images that are better than your competitors. And wherever possible, use video—as motion significantly increases engagement.

It only takes a second of hesitation to lose a potential customer, so make sure their digital journey is easy and effortless—and make it a win for both of you!