I was talking with some friends the other day about a newspaper article on the 'likeability factor' and the influence this has on our success, in both life and business. It got me to thinking about how to work this into website design. Possible? Pointless? Views please.

Hi Euston,

A VERY good point, and yes the likeability factor definitely applies to websites too

Your website can (via a good logo, trustworthy design, and usable site structure and functionality) convey the thoughts and perception of quality that make a visitor a buyer.

You will certainly find that, if your website design lacks in design quality and usability, you will find it much more difficult to convert customers, and therefore you will have to spend more to convert them.

Investing in a good design can certainly pay dividends, sometimes more so than decreasing prices or quality of service. Perceptions count a lot, even online.

I know that clear and easy navigation is essential, but are there any certain color schemes, layouts, or other features that tend to be perceived as friendlier than others? What about bold colors as opposed to soft colors, font size, and other features?

The "likability" factor may be one of the most important factors of designing a website in my opinion. Before people go about navigating through it and potentially buying something, they decide if they like what they're seeing or not. The importance and influence that colors have over people has been proven time and again to be an effective marketing tool.