We spend a lot of time online using and reviewing the work of other designers and developers. Below are some of our favorite websites, ones that we recently stumbled upon that made us sit up and take notice.
Wawa
Convenience stores are supposed to be convenient, right? In reality they can be dirty, untidy, and expensive. What a good website can do is address these concerns directly, and this website hits on all marks. The colors are clean and subdued, giving the impression that their stores will be too. The structured layout and clean design promotes the feeling that the store will be well-stocked and well-managed. The buttons are big and easy to use and the most obvious questions a customer might have are addressed clearly. I almost wish there was a WaWa near me.
Hops Direct
Successful web development involves more than just a pretty design. The site must have a clear purpose and it should address the needs of both the first time web visitor and the repeat customer.
Hops Direct wants to sell hops. The way they distinguish themselves is by promoting their experience and longevity in the business. Look at the site quickly – what are the things that jump out first? Most prominent/eye-catching are: the company name, Hops Direct LLC; the tagline “Quality Hops Done Right;” and the family photos.
For a first time visitor, the design guides them to learn more about the business. The two most obvious buttons are “Quality Hops Done Right. See our history” and “Learn more about Putterbaugh Farms.”
For the customer who just wants to get down to business and buy, the layout clearly features five featured products right on the homepage, without detracting from the experience of the first time user.
Hotel Arca lui Noe
One of the many reasons that people look at websites before they visit a hotel, restaurant, retail store or any other brick-and-mortar business, is to prepare themselves. Potential customers want to know what to expect. This simple hotel website uses a strong color palette, compact design and plenty of great photos to give website visitors a clear understanding of the hotel’s look, ambiance and level of service.
Crown Maple
This website combines strong design with excellent content. When consulting with businesses about what to include on their new site, we always discuss the different audiences who are their potential customers and what information we need to include to address everyone’s concerns and interests.
Some of the traffic to your site will come from people who already know about your business. Another whole segment will arrive because some bit of content on your site matched their search query.
One way to drive new traffic to your website is to provide information that your potential customer is looking for, even if they aren’t familiar with your specific brand, and the developers of this website understand that.
The recipes section, for example, is useful for someone who just bought Crown Maple. It is also useful for driving new traffic because someone who bought Maple Syrup of another brand will likely to end up on this site while looking for recipe suggestions. Crown Maple has thought of this, too. Every page of recipes includes a prominent “Try Our Syrup” link.
Visit the Berkshires
The purpose of this website, clearly, is to entice people to visit the Berkshires. This can be a challenge, since we are all have different ideas of the perfect vacation. The goal should be to make all visitors feel that this is the place they want to be. This is successfully achieved through the use of enticing photographs of travelers’ most popular activities: eating, relaxing, being in nature, being active, and enjoying diverse cultural activities.
Unnouncer Doug Turkel
This site is as effective as it is simple. When designing a site, it is important to consider who will be using it and what information they be looking for. The developer clearly understood that agents and producers will be the primary users and they’ll be looking for the right voice to announce or narrate their project. Accessing the demos will be their sole interest. This single page site makes listening to sample demos entirely intuitive, and while the user is listening, testimonials appear on the screen one at a time. If they listen and they like what they hear, they can delve deeper and learn more.