Developing Focal Points on your Site

The amount of time that you have to impress a visitor to your site, and convince them to stay, is just a few short seconds. People want information to be made easily and quickly available to them and so it is the task of the web design professional to create a site that offers the browser just that. One of the most important ways of keeping users on your site is by developing focal points.

What are focal points in web design?

In web design, a focal point is a prominent area on the website. This is the area where we want to draw the browser’s attention. This area is distinct from other components, catches the eye and offers a message of value. The idea behind these focal points in web development is to convey the main message of the website and place emphasis on it.

Giving a focal point purpose in your web design

One of the basic rules to incorporating focal points into your web design is that of basic simplicity. It doesn’t help if you have 5 focal points on your page, so stick to one. Choose the most important thing on the page and accentuate it. It is important that the focal point draws attention to the purpose of the site and the goals of the site owner. Include a call to action on your focal point so that it is purposed and not just hanging around offering no value.

Placement of your focal points in the design

Where you choose to place your focal point in your web design is quite important. The index or home page is where most people will start viewing your site, so this is a great place for locating a focal point. It doesn’t stop there though. You can really lose out if you don’t incorporate one focal point on each web page. This should draw attention to the most important information on that particular page and of course provide a call to action.

Placing the focal point towards the top of the page is a great idea. You want it to be easily noticed and even the first thing the browser sees. Just below the header is a good place to test out.

Design elements used to create focal points

• Typography – you can use size, colour and spacing to create emphasis on textual elements.
• Illustration – you will find that graphics can relay a message quickly and effectively. With eye-catching visuals you can create a focal point with ease.
• Big buttons – these are great for call-to-action focal points. High visibility and attractive colours and designs are effective focal point elements.

These are just a few web design elements that you can create a focal point with.

It is best to consider all of the options available to you as you want the focal point to provide value to your site. Making a mistake with your focal point could have a detrimental effect when it comes to converting visitors to clients. With the assistance of a professional design agency you can rest assured that your website focal point will be effective.