A website is more than a place to display your content online. It can reflect your brand while motivating visitors to spend time on the domain or perform certain actions.
The best way to achieve this is to design your domain with intent, so decide what your site or blog is about and what you want it to do. Choosing the right background is the next important step.
With a clear purpose in mind, it’s easier to pinpoint the most effective background style for your website, whether simple and practical or a sensory spectacle. Here are some ideas.
1. A White or Monochrome Background Puts Content First
If you want people to sit and read your articles or browse your photos or services for a while, your website shouldn’t be an eyesore.
A white or monochrome background is gentle on the eyes and ensures the viewer is comfortable staring at their screen. Any online website builders worth their salt will have basic options like these.
Your content should also meld nicely with the color behind it. The right contrast can even make your content pop and easier to focus on.
For example, you could frame your written content in soft green or blue against a white backdrop. Alternatively, give your background a bolder hue like a happy orange, and keep your text on transparent white.
If you’re posting images or videos, they’ll add plenty of colors, so the background can be as simple as can be. If nothing else, it won’t burden your loading speed along with your multimedia.
2. Color Effects and Patterns Add Texture to a Website
A monochrome background can get boring, and it’s a style that shouts blog instead of professional website. To give your domain more flair, try different colors.
A gradient palette can make your content more attractive. A combination of, say, light beige and blue is often calming, perfect for sites promoting a friendly image or related to well-being.
Mixing the right colors, whether soft or bold, can give your domain the edge it needs to make a good impression without overcomplicating its design.
Another background style to consider is patterns, which come in a range of forms. You can have waves, splotches, grids, leaf and floral motifs, and more. See what CSS web background patterns you prefer.
For more inspiration, explore brands similar to yours and what makes their websites stylish, especially when it comes to simple effects and patterns.
3. Landscapes on a Web Page Transport the Viewer
Give your visitors a magical experience by having a landscape as your background. If your website builder doesn’t have such options or you don’t like what’s available, you can find more elsewhere.
Play around with sites for free web design illustrations, and create a scene of mountains, forests, the beach, or a crossroad. Even abstract or minimalist art can look great, but if you’re not confident in your skills, you can always hire a graphic designer.
Photos are the next option. If you’re a travel journalist taking your own pictures, the best one could serve as your website’s background. However, the photo must be high-definition and a size that doesn’t impact your loading speed. At the same time, its composition should complement your content and not dominate the viewer’s attention.
As for who’d benefit from landscape-themed domains besides travelers, what about historians discussing important sights or creative writers telling stories about fictional lands? Even a real estate agent can take advantage of a cute illustration of a cottage in the countryside.
4. A Text-Focused Background Can Inspire Visitors
Instead of pretty graphics, you can use text to decorate your site’s background and share key facts about your brand. It’s a good design for high-end businesses.
You could go for a catchy header on its own or with a subheading and call to action. A simple background color or pattern can make your words stand out, as can the right font.
Don’t hesitate to browse the internet for new fonts if your website builder doesn’t cut it. There are beautiful fonts that pair well with Calibri, for example, so try different combinations for an eye-catching background.
But avoid cluttering the page with too many visuals around the text, and choose your words wisely. They should immediately inform or motivate the viewer.
5. Image-Based Backgrounds Can Be Memorable
If you’re an artist, consider turning your website into a gallery, featuring your best painting, photo, or book cover as the background.
This style can work for any kind of business. Took a great photo of your team? Ran an art competition and want to showcase the winner? You can use such images to hook anyone landing on the page.
Before settling on this layout, however, check that your host supports it without lagging. One or two high-definition pictures are usually fine, but a big collection could affect your domain’s performance.
If that’s the style you want, look into top providers and their capabilities in terms of image-heavy web design. Comparing Wix and Squarespace is a good start before checking out more complicated options.
6. Videos Make Websites More Interactive
Videos can affect a site’s performance even more than images, but they can also boost its appeal like nothing else.
You can explain your business’s identity, goals, accomplishments, and more with a short and sweet video. Having that in the background can draw visitors in and quickly convince them to learn more about you.
Although videos can benefit any brand and goal, keep in mind that it’s a web background style that takes thought and tact. Design yours based on what people should know as soon as they enter your domain, but don’t overwhelm them.
The video must be top-notch, from its composition to its messages, and free of too many distractions. Even the page’s color scheme should be easy on the eyes.
At the end of the day, if viewers gain nothing from the video or are likely to miss it completely, save your time and processing power for less demanding background content.
7. A Full-Page Background Can Wow Your Audience
Another idea for a stylish website is a full-page background. This refers to a design that takes up the entire page for a stunning and cohesive user experience.
Whether you use a photo or graphic illustration, its dimensions must fit the web page exactly, otherwise the image becomes pixelated or distorted. It should also work well with your text, tabs, and other elements.
It’s a complicated layout, but some website builders offer easy-to-use templates. For a custom job, experienced web designers can help with your vision.
The fullscreen website examples on Awwwards give you an idea of what these backgrounds should look like and do. They combine stimulating visuals with smooth functionality that lets the user navigate the website without a hitch.
They’re ideal for creative industries, but other businesses can make use of them, too. They reflect professionalism and an interest in connecting with people as effectively as possible.
Take a Personal Interest in Your Site’s Style
Choosing the best background for your domain is simple, especially if you understand your business and needs. A personal blog, for example, doesn’t have to go with a full-page, multifunctional display that a corporate website would.
The simplest choices in color, texture, font, and imagery can create a beautiful and user-friendly page that fits your brand perfectly.
