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We all aspire to feel comfortable throughout the day. If anything threatens this state, we immediately set to work to avert the crisis and look out for the next point of happiness. Some days might even feel like jumping from one sinking island of comfortableness to the next.

This doesn't only apply to the real world but also to the online world. And when creating a website, you should aim at giving your visitors this nice and comfy feeling. A positive emotional response is crucial to make them stay.


Meet Expectations

To begin with, think about what you like about similar websites as yours and what visitors might like about your website. You might want to ask friends and family for their opinion. Use the basic familiar pattern of homepages, though it might sound dull, familiarity creates ease and makes your visitor feel at home.

The modern day user doesn't spend much time on a web page. The word Internet Browser already hints at the quick glimpse that a user takes at a website before the decision is made if it is helpful or not. Users expect to see the purpose of the website instantly and the navigation at the top or on the left.

All important information on the front page should be arranged in a Z shape, as this is the typical reading pattern. For all other pages the focus should also be immediately apparent. If the information is not clear enough and in the right place, it will create a feeling of disappointment and frustration. The visitor will judge your web page to not provide what he or she is looking for and leave.

Images And Language

Carefully select the images you are going to use for your website. They should be relevant and create a positive emotional response. Irrelevant images generate irritation and mistrust. Depending on the purpose of your website, find the right balance of pictures you want to use. It should not be overloaded, but only a few images scattered across the page will make it look boring and inconsistent.

In combination with language, images can be used as psychological triggers. When writing copy for your site, keep the emotions that you want to generate in mind. You might want to target three emotions that you will focus on the most.

For example, you could appeal to your visitors' trust, sense of gratification and laziness. Trust can be produced by a seal of approval or good reviews on the front page.

Again, time is a great factor in the busy world of today and your website should offer instant gratification for its users. Give them the feeling that you are there for their urgent needs. Everything that saves time and money is also well received and appeals to one's weaker and lazy self.

The message should be that what your website offers will give you more time to feel comfortable.

Colours

The influence of colour is already widely known in interior design and should also be applied to a website to make your visitors feel at home. If logos or colours are already associated with what you offer on your website, be sure to make use of them. This enhances the sense of familiarity and increases trust. The emotional effect of colours on your website can have a great impact on visits to your site, so choose carefully.

To give a few examples, red evokes strong emotions, both negative and positive, whereas green has a calming effect. Yellow is a good colour to get attention, but is also most tiring to the eye and should be used in moderation.

Don't be afraid to leave white spaces on your page. A web page crowded with text and images overwhelms users, as they don't know where to start. A proportionally well designed website will guide the user to where you want them to go.

Did you have a particularly positive or negative experience with a website? Let us know in the comments.

Author Bio
James Duval is an IT Service Manager and enjoys writing in his field of expertise. He recommends K3 Retail.