It’s been a couple of weeks since Google rolled out the Instant Preview function of their new search interface allowing users to have a look at a website before visiting it.
This new dimension to the Google search bridges one of the last remaining gaps in the website development process, web design is no longer purely an onsite factor and can now have an impact on click through rate.
The Instant Preview function displays a screenshot of the target page and can even highlight paragraphs that are relevant to the search phrase.
Web Design in Thumbnail
This means users will now be able to decide is they like the look of a website before they land on the page.
Changes to the design process due to Instant Preview:
Most of the best web designers have already started to take the following into account due to the advent of 3G and the growth in accessing websites via mobile browsers, however this development will reinforce the need to focus on these new offsite elements when creating web pages. They will have to consider the following:
- How will the webpage look when shrunk down
- What are the best colours to attract the attention of the searcher
- What size fonts should be used – bigger fonts could equal a higher click through rate
It’s still early days of course, however it wouldn’t surprise me at all if in the future when showing a client their new web design we also demonstrate how it will look in miniature.
Unquestionably, design is becoming an ever more important factor in the SEO process, vindicating 2am’s long held belief that design has to be at the heart of any online marketing approach.