Take a look at some the most successful online business websites and they all share a common theme. Action on the page - movement at the station. Websites with animation compel and engage your visitors and will result in more online leads for those sites which use them wisely.
Less is More
Over cooked, animations can be slow to download and can alienate potential customers but implemented correctly, a simple animation can make all the difference to the presentation of your website.
A great example of a compelling piece of animation is on the recently launched site www.tieoneon.com.au. Tie One On Australian Distributors Craig and Sandra Raikuna wanted to keep things simple but felt the initial designs needed some subtle movement to take the design to the next level.
The subtle tip of the hand and the swirl of the wine in the glass is deceptively simple looking yet the movement on the page creates an entirely different dynamic compared to the original static design.
Realistic Or Cartoon Styled Animations
Deciding what kind of animation you are going to employ depends largely on three main criteria.
What is the primary objective of the animation
Who is the intended audience
What is the likely speed of their internet connection
Take a look at www.sydneycityalfa.com.au and you will experience rich animation from the moment you land on the site. While streaming video footage of an Alfa Spider is not bandwidth compatible, we were able to create a realistic animation from a still image of the Alfa Spider that is both compelling and designed to appeal to the target audience. The implied message is simple - put yourself in the drivers seat - this could be you!
Jenny's Classroom (www.jennysclassroom.com.au) took a completely different approach with a hand illustrated 'Jenny' character developed by Webhead that now forms the foundation for the new Jenny's Classroom branding.
In both instances, it was decided that the end demographic would in all probability have access to moderate to high bandwidth broadband however the final animations are still quite acceptable for dial-up internet speeds and have received positive feedback from their respective primary audiences.
