Online marketers need to create online brand awareness with their websites. This attraction starts with in their header design, because it is the first vision that a visitor sees when landing on their page. Essentially this online branding you are doing will increase a visitor’s confidence in you and your business. The banner graphics in a header are graphical flags at the top of a website. They should be professional looking and the images chosen should be clear.
Give a visitor the reason to spend time on your site, the header needs to have purpose. When designing it try to reflect on the content and theme of your site. The header of your website is no different then the cover of magazine or a good book; if you fail to have a quality design and style a visitor will not give it a second look.
How do you create online brand awareness in your header design?
– Most often on today’s website the logo that is located in the header is clickable. Make sure that it is and that it leads a visitor back to the homepage of the website.
– Our eyes read from left to right. Therefore to really resonate with a visitor the logo should be in the left corner. This will help people to remember your brand and the first step in online brand awareness.
– Displaying your contact information in your header is a great way to build trust and confidence with your visitors. You will want to include your contact email address and/or phone number. This will help people easily reach you with any questions.
– This always holds true Less is More. Sometimes words can be more powerful and suggestive with a reader then an image. Not all header designs need to have an image or a picture to create online brand awareness.
If you are stuck and do not know where or how to start, you can search for inspiration by looking at other websites in your niche market. Check out how their site and header designs are; what pages do they have, what information do they offer? There of course will be some trial and error with any design. Your header may need to change depending on the success you have with creating your online brand awareness.
Now that you understand what you need to include in your header design; how do you accomplish it? There are three header design options.
– Make your banner yourself with popular software like Paint Shop Pro, Gimp, or Adobe Photoshop.
– Hire a designer to build the banner and create a logo for your business.
– Use Software Templates and Graphics Pack that will have: Header Templates, Squeeze pages, and Website templates.
When you have completed your design ask yourself these questions to see if you have successfully created your online brand awareness in your header?
– What is striking or unique that will catch a person’s attention?
– Is the name of the blog clear; will the reader know exactly what the blog is about?
– How easy is the information found? Will a visitor be able to find what they are looking for?
Good luck with creating your online brand awareness; people do judge a book by its cover and for a website this comes in the form of the header. Make it great and unforgettably.
