Breaking Away from the Templated Monotony
When you look at a WordPress template, there are certain attributes which are commonly found. Generally, a WP site will be set up with a table/cell format and there will be 3D navigational buttons. You may get a scrolling or a pan over effect over an image, but pretty much that is it. Now, when you consider that your site must compete with millions of sites which are on the internet, some which have been established for quite some time, there is a need to set yourself apart. SEO does play a huge role in this, but so does the aesthetics of the site. If the site looks like every other Dick, Jane, and Sally site out there, no one will take the time to fully explore it. My suggestion is to integrate 3D elements into your page to boost the user interactivity (UI). The easiest way to do this is with 3D icons.
Have an Icon for Your Page Loader
This is a quick and simple way to add a bit of depth to your site. When you set up your loaders for your webpage, use a 3D icon, preferably animated, to keep the viewer’s attention. That spinning circle or the dots is a bit over played. Ensure that you find a loader which says something about your site. If you are a gamming site, use a controller and have the buttons light up, if you are a medical site you could have the medical symbol spin. It is really up to your imagination as to what you can do. Remember, if your page has to load and someone has to wait to see the content, you need to have something present to minimize the risk of them going to another site. Keep in mind also that if your site takes more than a few seconds to load, you may need to optimize your content.
Using Icons for Focal Points
If you wish to have a certain aspect of your WordPress theme noted, the best method in which to do so is to create a visual pinpoint around the information or the object that you wish for the viewer to see. For example, if you have a large body of educational text and you want to have a specific quote stand out you could use 3d models to indicate that the information is worth taking note of. If a site is giving statistical information on finances, a 3D coin could be used to indicate the text is important. Do not go overboard with your icons, use them strategically. When used properly, these subtle but impactful icons can really help to drive the viewer to the sections you wish for them to see.
Icons Can Be Used as Bookmark Indicators
In the past, multi-page formats were acceptable for website design. Yet, in today’s world, the market has shifted to page viewers wanting a one page layout. Look at the templates available for WordPress. The majority are catered to the one-page layout. In an article by sixrevisions the science of the single page layout is explained. And while I agree that the one page does have its benefits, there is one major flaw from a design standpoint, scrolling.
To make for expedient navigation one-page sites must have bookmarks of some kind. This is especially true if the site contains multiple sections which would traditionally span several pages. While the actual bookmark on the template is coded into the script, you can and should have visual indicators to show the visitor where one section ends and another begins. Using a line is too cliché. Having a 3D Character or a 3D icon between sections not only gives an indication of the section, but also breaks up the text with something visually appealing.
Use 3D Social Icons as Opposed to 2D Icons
To finish off your 3D visuals on your template, consider changing out the social media icons from the standard 2D representations to 3D representations of the social media. As you want to have viewer save and share your content, having the social buttons POP is critical. If the buttons are placed annoyingly on a side pop out bar, or worse you have a pop up box, they are less apt to do so. Additionally, if your icons are too mundane and too hidden within the site for the viewer to notice, it is less likely that they will share the content. My advice is to have 3D social media icons placed under the navigational menu. Whether this is done in a bar format or in a table design or some other design format is up to you. Just ensure that your icons stand out and do not compromise the overall aesthetics of the site.
