The Great Website Identity Crisis
Let’s play a game. Close your eyes and picture:
- A SaaS website
- An e-commerce store
- A nonprofit’s homepage
If you imagined three variations of “stock photos + blue buttons + lorem ipsum,” you’re not alone. Most websites today suffer from personality bypass syndrome—they’re so busy checking “best practice” boxes that they forget to breathe.
Your website isn’t a UI checklist. It’s a conversation. And like any good conversation, it should adapt to who’s listening.
1. SaaS Sites: The “First Date” Dilemma
“But wait—there’s more!” → The fastest way to send visitors sprinting to your competitor.
SaaS websites aren’t selling software. They’re selling trust. Think of your homepage like a first date:
- Skip the résumé dump: No one cares about your 37 “innovative solutions.” Show, don’t tell. (Looking at you, Notion.)
- Flirt with frictionless: If signing up feels like applying for a mortgage, you’ve lost. Figma nails this—their “Try Figma” button is the digital equivalent of “Wanna get out of here?”
- Beware the “Frankenstein demo”: Interactive tours should enlighten, not overwhelm. Ask: Would I sit through this?
Pro Hack: Hide your pricing page like a VIP speakeasy, and you’ll attract exactly zero VIPs. Transparency ≠ weakness.
2. E-Commerce: The Digital Bazaar
Your product page isn’t a Walmart shelf. It’s a storytelling stage.
The best e-commerce sites (Allbirds, Nike) know:
- Pixels can’t replace texture: Use video to mimic tactile experiences. How does the fabric drape? Does the shoe squeak?
- Reviews aren’t decorations: Buried 5-star testimonials = wasted real estate. Feature them like blockbuster quotes.
- Cart abandonment isn’t failure—it’s feedback: If 70% of users ghost your checkout, the problem isn’t them.
Golden Rule: Design for the 3 a.m. shopper in pajamas. If it’s not thumb-friendly, it’s not human-friendly.
3. Portfolios: The “Hire Me” Hustle
Your portfolio isn’t a museum. It’s a trailer for working with you.
Take notes from Eli Alcaraz:
- Ditch the “Projects” graveyard: Curate like a chef, not a hoarder. 3 killer case studies > 30 “meh” ones.
- Your bio isn’t a LinkedIn clone: “Strategic visionary leveraging synergies” → Translation: “I’ve never touched grass.”
- Make your CTA a cliffhanger: “Let’s create magic” is lazy. Try: “Got a project that keeps you up at night? Let’s troubleshoot over tacos.”
Warning: If your portfolio’s personality is “beige,” clients will assume your work is too.
4. Nonprofits: The Empathy Gap
Guilt trips don’t convert. Hope does.
Charity: Water and WWF win because they:
- Trade sob stories for solutions: Show the after, not just the before.
- Turn donors into heroes: “$50 = clean water for a family” → “You’re the reason Maria’s kids can go to school.”
- Ditch the “Donate” button Siberia: If your CTA is hiding in the footer, you’re fundraising in stealth mode.
Truth Bomb: Overloading with stats is like serving spreadsheet soup. Humans connect with humans—not pie charts.
5. Blogs & Media: The Attention Heist
You’re not competing with other blogs. You’re competing with TikTok, sinkholes, and the existential void.
Medium and Smashing Magazine survive by:
- Designing for skimmers, not scholars: Subheaders are your BFF.
- Using visuals as pit stops: A meme or diagram every 300 words = cognitive snack breaks.
- Embracing the “anti-infinite scroll”: Sometimes, less is more. (Said no algorithm ever.)
Hot Take: If your blog’s readability score needs a PhD to parse, you’ve failed.
The Unspoken Rule: Design for the “Back Button” Generation
Every click is a negotiation. Users ask: “Is this worth my time?” Your job? Make them forget the question.
- SaaS: Be the confident first date, not the desperate DM.
- E-Commerce: Be the charming shopkeeper, not the flea-market hawker.
- Portfolios: Be the intriguing stranger, not the LinkedIn bot.
Your website’s job isn’t to look pretty—it’s to resonate. Stop designing for dopamine hits and start building relationships.
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