Does Your WordPress Site Need 3D?

Does Your WordPress Site Need 3D?

In 2015 WordPress sites accounted for 23.3% of all sites on the internet. But the dominance of this website development company is nothing new. As early as 2012 Forbes reported upon the dominance of WordPress. The company has continued to grow and the popularity does not seem to be slowing in momentum, even with such sites as Weebly and Wix coming to the market. As such, individuals and businesses with WordPress sites are finding it increasingly difficult to stand apart from the other 10 million websites currently on the internet. Innovation in both aesthetics as well as in the user experience are critical for any site in today’s world. And while you may not notice it, 3D integration is vital to these two elements.

3D Aesthetics in WordPress Templates and Designs

3D models and assets dominate websites. And while a great many of these assets are overlooked, they are vital to the site’s aesthetics. First, beveled buttons and 3d buttons have become the standard on a site. Unless your site is going for the minimalistic trend, your buttons should be 3D. Those that chose to have the minimalistic look, generally want to offset the flatness of the design with 3D separators, a 3d logo, or a 3d call to action button.

3D elements in the template or the Design add a depth to the page. Visually, this gives the user a subconscious list of priorities. Elements which are in the foreground are given more precedence than those which are in the background. Additionally, any elements which are out of focus are seen as being less important. This is why the call to action buttons and the navigational buttons are 3D. By drawing the viewer to these buttons, they are given priority over the other functions of the site.

Even in informational or entertainment WordPress sites, 3D elements are present. Consider the standard YouTube video. Generally, the play button is 3D and entices the user to click on the video. The same is true for music streaming visuals. The bottom line is that 3D assets are critical to the overall design/template for your WordPress site. If you do not know where to start, try using a 3D background as opposed to flat 2D shade.

3D in User experience

Apart from the navigational controls, 3D models contribute a great deal to the overall acceptance or rejection of the user experience. Perhaps one of the most popular 3D elements used is the Carousel. Even though it is a bit primitive and simplistic, it has gained preference over the typical lightbox or thumbnail presentations. Why? Because the user can interact with the Carousel and have a level of control.

3D does not have to be presented as a primary focus, however, to increase the user experience. For example: If an interior design firm wants to present a very modernistic design which offers information but not a great deal of UX, they may want to use a 3D rendering of an interior space. If that same company wants a highly interactive UX they may choose to integrate a user controlled 3d interior space which offers a 360 of a developed room. And even though these elements increase the engagement on the site, the business can still keep it as a secondary focus and not as the main focus of their WordPress site, especially if they use a thumbnail PNG or JPG with a hyperlink to see an example.

Those sites which have no 3D elements and do not want to do a complete revision of their site may want to consider adding a 3D popup to their design. This has already been used by insurance companies with virtual agents as well as other industries. Adding such to your site could give it the visual needed to help boost its place on Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Does your WordPress site need 3D?

It is not a question on whether or not integrating 3D into your site is needed, but a question as to the level of 3D which will be used. At a minimum, a WordPress site should use 3D navigational controls and calls to action. Depending upon the functionality of the site you may want to include more elements into either the aesthetics or into the user experience to help drive more traffic to your site. Do not forget to add tags and SEO elements to your 3D elements so as to help with your SERPs. If integrating 3D videos and user controls (such as the 360 panoramic option listed earlier) allow for comments and feedback to help build the organic content of your page.

Your site does not have to be overly saturated with 3D components, but you should consider adding some elements to offset the flatness and the “stock” look which many of today’s WordPress sites have acquired. There are over 10 million sites on the internet currently, how will you make your site stand out?