Well hello there, marketer. Here’s your reality check of the day: Your website is probably losing you business.
That’s right. Study and after study, stat after stat, researchers are finding that websites are brand kryptonite. And if yours isn’t as cleanly designed, up-to-date, fast, and easy to use as it could be, people are probably navigating quietly away and taking their business elsewhere.
In fact, 38% of people will leave if they think your website is ugly, and 39% say ta-ta if your images take too long to load. 44% are outta here if they can’t find your contact info. And 60% will make a purchase elsewhere if they can get the same or a similar product from a vendor with a better website—even if they already love your brand.
But, Robin, I hear you saying, none of our customers are complaining.
And you’re probably right. Because only 8% of those surveyed said they tell a brand when their website is problematic. The rest just leave and never come back.
So, the bottom line is this: your website probably needs a facelift. A speed test. A review by a UX pro. Some tough love. (Which, by the way, we can help with.)
And a good way to start thinking about what that facelift should include? Take a look at other websites that are knocking design, simplicity, and user experience out of the park.
Here are 25 of our favorites to get your creative wheels turning:
MailChimp
Why we love it:
83% of B2B buyers wish that B2B marketing was more creative. And if you’ve ever done any B2B research, we’re guessing you feel the same.
MailChimp, though—they’re definitely the exception to the rule. Nothing about this site is boring—from the bold color choices to the cheeky humor. They’ve hit the perfect balance of a clean, simple, user-friendly design and a whimsical, creative approach that makes a B2B product seem—dare we say—fun.
Squarespace
Why we love it:
Speaking of tech products that feel exciting, have you taken a look at Squarespace lately? The design is clean and simple, with tons of white space (open space around and between content).
Why does that matter? Well, research says white space can increase reading comprehension by 20%. And who doesn’t want their users to quickly and easily grasp what they’re trying to say?
Tribe7
Why we love it:
Tribe7 describes itself as a company that’s reimagining imaging for today’s filmmakers. Which is why it’s so cool that their website does exactly that—reimagines and plays with imagery. Click through and you’ll find moving images and shapes and a minimalist approach to the actual words on the page.
Ritz Carlton
Why we love it:
Firstly, this is a simply stunning website. If you’re a traveler, chances are the full-size images already invoke that longing for a relaxing trip to the seaside.
But beyond even the beautiful simplicity of the design, we’re impressed by the focus on user experience. If you’re heading to the Ritz website, you’re probably looking to book or price out a vacation at one of their resorts. And if that’s the case, they’ve made it easy with a simple reservation/availability checker form front-and-center.
Limonades
Why we love it:
This classic French lemonade has a simple, quick-loading, one-page website designed to quickly tell their story and help us—the users—figure out where to buy ourselves a bottle (or contact the brand). There are only a couple calls to action and a few short sections on the site, making it easy to find the info we need (which is, most likely, where can I get some French lemonade?).
CUVÉE
Why we love it:
Cuvee is selling luxury vacation rentals—from 16th-century Tuscan farmhouses to luxe log cabins in Aspen—and their site reflects that luxury on every page.
Beautiful images of Tuscan rooftops, pools overlooking the ocean, and candle-lit dinners on private beaches dominate the site, with short, informative descriptions taking a back seat to the sales appeal of their stunning visuals.
Rocka
Why we love it:
Go to Rocka’s homepage and within 10 seconds, you’ll know exactly what they do. This sounds like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many homepages don’t get this one right.
Other things we love about this site include the bold colors, subtle animations, and strong contrast (which is an accessibility requirement). If you’re thinking about a one-page website, this is another solid example.
Ketel One
Why we love it:
Did you notice that the bold colors used to represent each vodka on the website are the same colors used on those vodka bottles’ labels? It’s subtle design choices like that—that tie real-world experiences together with digital ones—that surprise and delight us.
Ketel One also does a good job of moving users toward their ultimate goal. As a liquor retailer in the US, they are not allowed to sell directly to consumers through their website (hooray prohibition-era regulations, am I right?). But they are damn sure going to funnel those consumers to the places where they can buy a bottle (or two, or 10). Without being pushy, the site manages to make it easy to move toward a purchase on every page.
Opus One
Why we love it:
Scroll down this page and notice how it loads as you scroll. This is called dynamic loading and it’s a smart strategy for sites with lots of images. Why? Because loading each image as it’s needed means faster load times for the highest priority pieces of the page. And since slow load times are a top reason people abandon sites and never come back, it just makes sense to approach loading strategically.
Not to mention the site is just damn beautiful. Large images. Plenty of white space. Simple, clear descriptions. What’s not to love?
Lexus
Why we love it:
Everything about the Lexus site is tailored to their users. They’ve clearly identified the top tasks their users are trying to accomplish and prioritized them near the top of the homepage.
Looking for Lexus’ customization options? Choose Build Your Lexus. Ready to buy? Click Find a Dealer. Shopping for the best offer? Offers will get you to the best local pricing for both leases and financing.
Pollen London
Why we love it:
The beautiful (and fast-loading) video on Pollen’s homepage stopped us in our tracks. The video evokes creativity, beauty, and that insider feeling from behind the scenes of a fashion shoot or commercial. Immediately, this homepage gives a feel for not only what Pollen does, but what kind of aesthetics they work with.
Mikiya Kobayashi
Why we love it:
Yet another site with a clear, immediate sense of style. The beautiful, detailed, minimalist images of Mikiya Kobayashi instantly tell users they are (or aren’t) in the right place for their tastes.
They also manage—without any description—to immediately communicate what kind of company they are. On my first visit, without any prior knowledge of the brand, I immediately knew I was looking at a design company with a minimalist aesthetic.
Woven Magazine
Why we love it:
Clean, simple design meets clean, simple messages on this magazine site. Where a typical magazine site might feel busy and cluttered, this one gives its content space to breathe without sacrificing clarity. Right away, you understand what the site is about and what kind of aesthetics you can expect from the design side of things.
Simply Chocolate
Why we love it:
Anytime you navigate onto a new site, the first thing it should tell you is this: What is this brand? Simply chocolate does that extremely well. Big bold lettering tells us what we need to know: This is the home of all-natural chocolate bars.
Not to mention the simple, clear messaging is followed up by simple, beautiful imagery that feels interactive. As you scroll down the page, reading about the chocolate’s natural ingredients, the chocolate bar appears, unwraps, and breaks apart, inviting you to grab a bar of your own.
San Diego Zoo
Why we love it:
What are the top things people look for when visiting a zoo website? Opening hours and the option to buy tickets. San Diego knows this and prioritizes both things above the fold on the homepage.
Want a ticket? A brightly-colored button at the top right of the page draws attention right away. Looking for hours? A clock icon at the bottom left of the page tells you today’s opening hours. And all this while beautiful artistic renderings and real shots of zoo animals scroll slowly in the background, letting you know you’re in the right place.
Dropbox
Why we love it:
What’s the first word that comes to mind when you visit Dropbox’s website? For us, the answer is bold. Bold colors, large headlines, plenty of white space, an organized grid layout, and strong, artistic imagery all add to this impression.
Not to mention the brand has great user experience. If you’re heading to the site to sign up, you don’t even have to click to get to the sign-up form. It’s right there at the right of the screen, taking up about 1/3 of the page’s real estate.
HIxNY
Why we love it:
This website about curated journeys starts your visit by taking you on a visual one. Click and hold where they tell you to and animation will sweep you into a map and then a series of full-screen images, inviting you to explore each of the featured Hawaiian Islands. The experience manages to be a beautiful one without sacrificing user experience.
The word that comes to mind for us here? Cool. This website and the concept are undeniably cool.
Food Dispensary
Why we love it:
Simple, authentic, and extremely clear, when we get to the homepage, we know exactly who The Food Dispensary is and what they’re about. So much of good user experience on a website is paring things down—focusing on the essentials—and this site has that nailed.
Adyen
Why we love it:
Bright colors and images that align perfectly with the site’s message make this a standout for us. Not to mention that the brand has its message nailed down. Three words are all they need to make it clear exactly what they do.
Typeform
Why we love it:
From warm color blocks to on-screen animation, Typeform uses a variety of design strategies to tell their story and keep our attention—all without making their website feel cluttered. They’re telling customers to be conversational, and they take their own advice. It’s refreshing and makes the site easy to read and navigate.
LuckyOrange
Why we love it:
Studies say that people form first impressions of other people in less than seven seconds. The same goes for websites.
Which is why we love LuckyOrange.
The site tells us what it does in just two sentences at the top center of their site. And adds some whimsy with its bright colors and giant orange graphic. Not to mention, for users who prefer video (a demographic that’s fast-growing), there’s a video explanation of the brand above the fold.
Masterclass
Why we love it:
This interesting concept (a monthly subscription to a library of courses taught by famous chefs, musicians, writers, and other celebrities) has an equally interesting website. Instead of introducing the concept itself, the site leads with the courses, allowing you to slowly scroll through famous instructors and what they teach with large, inviting images of said celebrities.
Once you’re intrigued, smaller text explains the concept and gives you the price front-and-center, along with a clear call to action to get your all-access pass.
Even better? Once you subscribe, the experience is seamless. The design, content, writing style, and structure of the subscriber site feels like a natural extension of the main site.
Nutanix
Why we love it:
The brand’s core message is about simplifying IT infrastructure, and everything about the site aligns with that goal—from the clean lines to the swaths of white space, to the simple animations that give a nod to architecture. The site is also clear on their primary goal: to get users to test the service. Calls to action are clear, simple, and in all the right places.
Encry
Why we love it:
Fun, colorful animation meets simple site architecture on this open source blockchain solution provider. We love how easy to read and navigate it is. Not to mention how fun it is to click on the animations and find that they’re interactive.
Glossier
Why we love it:
Sleek, clean design again meets with great UX over at Glossier. We love the in-depth reviews and testimonials, the images that make selecting the right skin tone for their products easy (since you can’t try them online), and the personalized content (that continues to learn your preferences and home in on what you love over time as you interact more with the brand online).
We’re also impressed by how the branding infused into the website is consistent with their branding everywhere else—including in the unboxing experience. Because having a great website is great, of course, but having a brand experience that transcends platform and builds community is better.
Now, ready to take your website to the next level? We’re here to help.
