Minimalism in web creation should never be underestimated. High-quality, minimal WordPress themes can bring out the best of the content uploaded on a website and make the content look professional. Most people find minimal websites both charming and enigmatic. Minimalism is an artistic movement that first appeared in the 60s. And similarly, to other artistic movements, it influenced design. But the obsession with minimalism in website design seems to continue. Minimalism in website design implies reducing the composition to only essential elements. This feature has made it famous in website and interface design because it forces the user to decide what the essential elements are.
But how can you tell if the minimalist theme is the ideal one for your website? Why not skip minimalism and add extra details to your web page? And should you care so much about how your website looks?
Quite likely, you accessed hundreds of websites until now, and you can tell the ones you liked the most. Chances are, most of them have a minimalist design. If you have doubts if using this theme is a good decision, check this article because it explains why this style is growing in popularity.
Minimal WordPress themes can improve site readability
You probably know that when people read online, they often scan the content. They want to identify the desired information in the content quickly. This means that you need to develop easy-to-read content that allows the user to track down the details they are interested in. The website design can also help you organise the ideas. For example, when you use free minimalist WordPress themes, the users find it easier to locate essential details like the telephone number and address because the information is usually listed in the footer, and the visitor will look there first.
In some cases, the minimal themes also help you create a user-friendly menu so that your clients can easily find information about your services or products. To ensure that your clients can find the information they’re looking for, you need to organise your website correctly and optimise your content’s readability. Minimalist WordPress themes can be a solution because they integrate only the essential elements and remove all distractions.
Minimal WordPress themes make your page look professional
In the present era of website design, sophistication and professionalism should be reflected in your online presence. People nowadays have a short attention span, especially when it comes to browsing the internet, and you should ensure that your content is catchy enough to catch and retain their attention. You need a professional and elegant looking website to impress your prospects, and if you use one of the best wp themes, you will succeed in doing it. How do minimal WordPress themes make your website look professional? Well, they have a pretty simple role because simplicity has always been associated with perfection, so if you pick a simple WP theme, it does most of the work.
With a minimalist theme, the website doesn’t look overdesigned but very practical. A colourful and detail rich website may or may not appeal to your clients, but everyone loves the minimalist trend. No one will dislike it because it looks clean and simple.
Minimal WordPress themes allow you to highlight the features that matter
The biggest advantage of a simple website theme is that it focuses on the features that matter for your clients. When you create a corporate website, you should use the design to your advantage to establish a connection with your clients. You should place call to action buttons at key locations so they encourage the visitors to get in touch with your brand. The minimal design ensures that the user’s attention isn’t diverted from the essential messages you want to share through your website, and they never miss a call-to-action button.
When you drive your clients to a specific section of the website, you register a higher conversion rate because they have access to information that promotes your products and services. A clean design and minimal layout can optimise your conversion rates without having to use a sophisticated plugin or algorithm.
Minimal design implies using fewer textures and colours on your website to make it look cleaner and more user-friendly. If you use a theme with blank spaces, you boost the readability of content elements. Using a minimal theme allows the elements to breathe because there is plenty of space between them that makes it easier to differentiate every individual one.
The main secret of a well-put together minimalist design is to understand how to use blank spaces because if you insert too many, the website can look incomplete or empty. You should use a precise amount of blank spaces to make the visitors think the design was created intentionally and not the result of an error.
Minimal WordPress themes can improve the way in which visitors process information
Your corporate website looks more professional and cleaner by containing a small number of elements, and your clients will definitely appreciate it. The minimal theme allows the visitors to navigate the menu easily, find the information they need quickly and have an excellent customer experience. However, it’s crucial for the minimalist design to be applied correctly to take advantage of these benefits.
The mentioned benefits help your clients process the website easier because they find it crafted to serve their needs. You should know that the human braid processed easier visual information than other types of content, and you should focus on making your website more visual than it already is. The text is an essential part because it optimises it for search engines, but visual elements draw attention to the parts you want to highlight.
Ensure that there are no elements to distract the attention when you want to transmit a specific message to your audience.
The minimalist design trend wasn’t born this year, but it entered the industry a while ago, and it continues to gain more popularity daily. So you should definitely consider it when you build a corporate website.
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).