How to ensure your recruitment website stands out from the crowd

We look at what you can do to give your recruitment website the edge over your competitors and ensure it is remembered for all the right reasons. 

1. Eye-catching hero images

   According to a study analysing first impressions of websites by looking at eye-tracking, 94% of all first impressions are design-related. Amongst the most viewed of all design elements on a website is the main image of the page, also called the hero image.
   
   This is unsurprising when you consider our eyes are drawn to imagery before anything else. A visually interesting hero image that manages to convey your branding, values and business in one shot will instantly help your website to stand out from the crowd and be remembered.  

2. Dynamic elements

   Moving images, whether in the form of a video, an image loop, animation, or anything else that moves or changes on a website page, can be hugely engaging. They can grab attention and draw a user in.
   
   Ensure any dynamic element you use is relevant to your industry, your location and what you offer and that it adds value. For example, an eye-catching loop of nighttime cityscapes is great if you operate globally but doesn’t make much sense if you’re a local recruitment business.
   
   It’s also important not to overdo it – too much can be tiring on the eye – and you’ll need to ensure any dynamic elements don’t have a negative effect on page load times.

3. Striking colours

   Eye-catching colours can help your recruitment website to stand out but be careful not to go off-brand. Stick to your logo’s colour scheme, adding any additional colours as accents. 
   
   Do consider colour psychology too – everything from the colour of the text, to the background colour, to the shades you choose for your CTA buttons and the way those colours work together, matters. They can influence the way your users feel about your website and, by extension, your business. Evoke emotion through your use of colours and that’s a pretty powerful way to stand out and be remembered.
   
   On the flip side, a minimalist design can also help you to stand out for its sheer simplicity. Clever use of white space can have just as big an effect as bright colours. 

4. A blog that offers real value

   Want your recruitment website – and therefore your business – to be known for its outstanding content? Want visitors to return again and again to read about industry insights and trends, career advice, hot topics and important news?
   
   A blog that doesn’t publish content purely for the sake of updating the page is vital. Offer valuable content, copy that will position you as an authority and a thought leader in your field, and you will stand out from many other recruitment websites.
   
   Never written a blog before? Write about what you know and you’ll find it’s easier than you think. Putting together a schedule of topics can help you to plan what you write and publish. Check out our article on top topics for your recruitment website for inspiration. 

5. A great user experience

   Standing out from the crowd doesn’t necessarily involve flashy design. You will be remembered for offering a positive UX – a website that is intuitive, easy to navigate and has fast page load times.
   
   Make it clear for users where they should go to find the information they need by prioritising key pages on your navigation bar.
   
   If you target both candidates and clients, ensure the user journey is clear for each. Calls to action should act as signposts for users so place them intuitively on the page and make the buttons easy to tap as well as to click.
   Fast page load times are vital or you’ll end up with a high bounce rate and be remembered for the wrong reasons. Large image and video file sizes are a frequent culprit of this. Ultimately, provide the user with a great experience on your website and you will stand head and shoulders above competitors that don’t.