Your website is the digital face of your brand, and it's often where your audience gets a first look at what you're all about. And while we both know you’re creating something awesome, let’s be honest, first impressions matter—big time.
The key to making your impression count lies in cohesive web design. In simple terms, it means maintaining a consistent visual style and user experience across all your website’s pages.
In this blog, we'll explore how the consistency of your website influences your audience’s perception and trust in your brand, as well as the non-negotiable elements of cohesive web design and some companies doing them right.
Consistency is the foundation of a strong brand identity, and your website’s look and feel are a reflection of your brand's core values.
Let’s put this into perspective.
Imagine navigating a website that doesn’t match what you've experienced on a brand’s social media profiles. It's one of the first things you notice, and it negatively impacts your trust in the brand, sometimes without you realizing it.
This same principle applies to your website and audience. When your visitors see consistency throughout your branding elements, it sends a message that your brand is dependable and organized.
And you want that.
Trust is vital to any brand's success, and it takes time to build.
It’s not a walk in the park, either.
Luckily, cohesive web design makes building your audience’s trust much easier.
When visitors arrive on your website, they subconsciously assess whether or not they can trust your brand. And if done right, a well-designed website with consistent branding elements immediately puts visitors at ease.
They see that you've invested in presenting a unified, polished image, which reassures them that your products and services are of equal quality.
A cohesive website shows authority, which increases the chances of conversion and, better yet, loyalty.
You can achieve a cohesive design by maintaining uniform colour schemes, fonts, imagery and page layouts across your website and aligning them with your other marketing materials.
Here’s a deeper dive into each of those four elements and how you can implement them:
- Colour Schemes: Choose a colour palette that aligns with your brand's personality and display it prominently throughout your website. If you need help, we like this colour palette generator from Huemint.
- Typography: You’ll also need to select fonts that match your brand's tone of voice, then use them consistently for headlines, body text and other content on your website. We’d recommend checking out Belt Creative’s guide to choosing your brand’s fonts.
- Imagery: Use imagery that reflects your brand's spirit and maintains a consistent visual style, whether it's through the use of photography, illustrations, or graphics. If possible, avoid stock imagery and opt for branded imagery instead.
- Page Layout: When building your website, ensure each page follows a similar layout. This improves the user experience and makes it easy for visitors to find their way around.
By harmonizing these elements and others like logos and iconography, you create a seamless user experience that reinforces your brand's identity and builds trust.
Let's look at some real examples to illustrate the power of cohesive web design.
Companies like Apple, Nike and Wealthsimple are masters of consistent branding, and their websites reflect their brand identities perfectly. Every element works jointly to enhance the user experience and maintain credibility.
These companies’ websites are easy to navigate, and you never feel like you’ve left, no matter which page you visit.
Cohesive web design is a must-have in your digital marketing toolbox since your website is often the first interaction a potential customer has with your brand.
It's not just about aesthetics; it's about reinforcing your brand's identity and building trust. Consistent colour schemes, typography, imagery, page layouts and other branding elements communicate reliability and professionalism.
And by implementing the elements of cohesive web design into your brand’s website, you’ll make your audience more likely to choose you.
Roman Lanon
Copy and Content Writer at D33 Inc
