The "wow factor" trap

Award-winning sites and high-converting sites are usually different sites. The client almost always wants the converting one. The brief almost always describes the award one.

What "wow factor" sites optimize for

Other designers, mostly. The first 10 seconds. The screenshot in a portfolio.

What converting sites optimize for

The visitor's specific question, answered in the first paragraph. The next step, made obvious. The proof, surfaced before it's asked for.

How they conflict

A bold typographic hero with a four-second reveal animation looks great in a Webflow Showcase. It also delays the first useful information by four seconds, on a connection that may or may not handle the asset well.

How we navigate it

Start with the converting design. Add the wow moments to specific places that earn them - a transition between sections that reinforces a brand point, an interaction on a product image that helps the visitor evaluate the product. Anchor every "wow" to a job-to-be-done.

If we can't justify the wow with a job-to-be-done, we cut it. The client thanks us at month two when they read the analytics.