Right now, somewhere in the world a 28-year-old is sat in their car, moaning to their passenger about the state of the music industry. “Why are there no real musicians anymore? Why is music not as good as it was when I was growing up?” they will ask.
No amount of rationale will talk them down from their current train of thought. They will continue to claim that music was better when they were growing up, even if their passenger mentions two of the biggest affronts to music history – It’s Chico Time and The Ketchup Song.
That’s because the person in question is currently experiencing a severe bout of romanticized nostalgia. Of course, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, in fact it’s something that we all experience from time-to-time, especially during periods of instability.
Nostalgia is so common and pervasive that it has been used by businesses throughout the globe to attract customers. It is the reason behind the growth in vintage clothes stores, retro club nights and classic movie theatres.
It is also something that you should be taking very seriously when the time comes to design your next website. Read on to find out how you can harness the power of retro nostalgia to make your next online business a success.
The Importance of Web Design
In this day and age more and more people are using the internet to conduct business, to order goods and services and to unwind. At the time of writing there are over 1.5 billion websites available to browse on the internet.
With so much competition for attention, the design and layout of your own website has never been more important. Within just a few hours, even the most limited of computer users can set-up and launch a neat and professional looking website with the help of a site-builder like Wix or Squarespace.
If you want to stand out from the crowd and actually grab the attention of potential customers, you have to invest your time and effort into developing a unique website. The type of design that not only stands out but gives customers a reason to choose you over your competitors. That’s where retro nostalgia comes in…
Retro STANDS Out
As mentioned earlier in the article, human being’s search out positive memories from their past during periods of instability. It helps people to make sense of the world and experience feelings of peace and tranquillity in an otherwise tumultuous time.
Fortunately for retro website developers, there has never been a greater period of instability in human history. Global pandemics, populist governments and the relentless atomization of social media have led to people yearning for simpler times.
Nowadays whenever we turn on the news we are bombarded with negative story after negative story. The world feels as though it is lurching from crisis to crisis with no silver lining in sight.
That’s why many of us turn to creature comforts of our youth (superhero movies, classic music and vintage games) to unwind and feel a sense of calm.
In recognizing this you already have the upper hand over your competitors. You now have a niche, something to help you stand out and appeal to the hordes of people in good need of feel-good nostalgia.
Providing a slick and professional online experience for your customers is the bare minimum in 2020. Offering them a sense of escapism through retro nostalgia what will really make your online business stand out.
Getting it right
Within the online gambling industry, there is a huge amount of competition. That being said, online casinos must do all they can to get the attention of visitors to the site and in-turn stand out from the crowd. There are literally tens of thousands of websites to choose from on the internet. The vast majority are all carbon copies of one another, offering the same games, the same design and the same user experience.
777 Casino, however, is one such online provider that has approached things slightly differently. Instead of going for a modern-looking website, the developers behind 777 opted for a classic Las Vegas style design.
Visitors to the site are immediately greeted by a 1960s style road sign that has been designed to evoke memories of Las Vegas’ golden decade. Approaching the iconic road sign is a 1960’s Cadillac, arguably the most famous car of the era, particularly in America. An old-school diner is also on display, as well as some popcorn, emphasising the impact that the 60’s has on the movie industry as it is today. Other imagery includes hotel keys and wooden store cases displayed on a colour scheme that really captures the generation. The different sections of the website really mimic the feel of a Rat Pack era casino.
Upon launch 777 were a relatively small name within the online gambling industry. Now, after just a few years of operation, they are an established name within the industry, their web design is clearly one of the key reasons for this. However, it isn’t purely the Vegas theme that has got them to where they are. The easy navigation of their site and the eye-catching online casino games have ensured they are one of the most recognisable brands on the market.
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A look at the retro design of 777 Casino
Implementing Your Own Retro Web Design
Context is absolutely key when it comes to choosing, implementing and launching your own retro web theme. The first thing you need to do is identify the most popular period from the history of your product.
With 777 that period was obvious, the heyday of Las Vegas gambling, however in other industries this might be somewhat trickier. That’s where market research comes in useful.
Fortunately this is not just a tool accessible by big business anymore, as you can avail of useful market insights for free through the internet. If you already run a website, you can analyse the traffic to work out the profile of your average customer.
Once you have done this you will be able to easily identify what retro theme is most likely to work with your existing customer base.
After you’ve settled on a theme, the next most important thing to worry about is consistency. Not just throughout your website, but on your social media platforms and through your online and offline marketing.
This is a branding exercise as much as anything else, meaning that consistency will be absolutely key to success. What should you do next? Sit back and monitor the progress of your website, if you’ve picked a good retro theme and executed it well, your visitor numbers should shoot up.
