Coco Chanel is arguably one of the most famous fashion designers in the world. Years after her death, her house of fashion is still going strong. In Chanel’s day, Coco’s home and place of work were not only the centers of the fashion world, but they were often the centers of the social world as well. The most famous and powerful people were attracted to Chanel designs and today some of the most elegant people in the world continue to swear by Chanel clothing.
What made Chanel such a wonderful designer? In a word, simplicity.
When Chanel was getting ready for a show, she would often say “plus simple, plus simple” (which translates as “simpler, simpler”). This basic philosophy made Chanel a household name and her simple styles and clean lines are still the ultimate in chic today.
What does a fashion designer have to do with your company website? Plenty. Chanel knew that the secret to appearing professional and well-dressed lay in simplicity. Simplicity is also the secret to creating a well-designed website.
Chanel knew a basic style secret that applies whether you are interested in designing a prom dress or a website: classic style and elegance is always simple. If you want to look professional, intelligent, wealthy, and great, you need to go simple.
Think about it – which websites make you cringe and which websites are aimed at children and pre-teens? In most cases, it’s websites that are very busy, with lots of colors, animation, lots of font changes and patterns. These websites are the equivalent of frou-frou in fashion. They look unprofessional at best and tacky at worst. Some audiences like that – children, for example, are drawn to a busy page and bright colors – but most of your clients would be scared away. This especially holds true if you are trying to appeal to a white-collar, adult audience. Nothing will create the illusion of an affluent, professional business quite like a simple and sleek website.
Another fashion secret that Chanel created was functionality. Coco Chanel created simple suits that would work in a variety of situations and were put together almost seamlessly. She hid zippers and other details that distracted and designed clothes that could be slipped on and forgotten. That’s one reason why a Chanel suit costs more than a car – it really takes you places.
Your website should be the same. You should hide any distractions that call attention to the way your website is put together. Things such as broken links or pictures that don’t load properly just don’t have any place on your well-designed website. Anything that doesn’t work is like a tacky accessory – it will draw attention to itself and will break your reader’s concentration. You want your website to be seamless, so that visitors can sit back and enjoy your great content, without getting annoyed or being reminded of your website. Make sure that your website can take visitors places – make it functional and enjoyable.
Talk to your web design company to ensure that your website is as timeless as a Chanel suit, and you just might enjoy the same sort of company longevity.