I often see business owners who ask me if there is a ‘one-size-fits-all’ design formula to create a ‘luxury’ website.

I tell them that true luxury websites are built on the individuality and brand strategy of the business and each design choice should be rooted in the brand’s unique values, style and of course, goals. 

As a branding and website designer that specialises in creating custom, high-end websites that are reflective of the essence of each individual brand, I’m going to give you some pointers on how to achieve that illusive feeling of luxury in your website design, in a way that works for your brand.  

What is a luxury website? (Hint: it’s all about strategy.)

Of course, a luxury website design needs carefully crafted, beautiful aesthetics - but it’s not just about that. What makes a website luxury is the experience - ideally we want the website to feel like opening a beautifully wrapped Jo Malone gift box - an emotional connection that reflects a brand’s uniqueness, values and customers. A successful high-end website is one that has been strategically designed to connect and resonate with the brand’s target audience and therefore there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Here are two websites I’ve designed with very distinct experiences based on the individual brand strategies.

Luxury website examples:

• The Femme Flow high end web design features a soothing, nurturing aesthetic which stays true to the Femme Flow brand values. Elements of handwritten fonts add a human touch which echoes the feminine, 1:1 aspect of the coaching offering and the imagery is a mix of curated, natural aesthetics alongside brand photography of the founder in a calming, neutral palette designed to encourage engagement. 

• The Can I Have a Word website design is fresh and bold with subtle editorial undertones drawn from the brand strategy for this UK based copywriter. A hint of playfulness comes from the use of classic charcoal and ivory with juicy pops of orange and pink - which mirrors Lisa’s professionalism and reflects her personality. The layout is sleek and intuitive which guides and assures the visitor whilst staying true to the positive, warm brand feel.

Tip #1: Define your brand's unique essence before designing.

It’s important to note that before any design choices are made, a brand must have a clear brand identity and strategy in place - otherwise they are at risk of simply having a few ‘pretty pages’ on the internet without anything substantial to back them up!

Your brand values, mission and target clientele should directly influence the design choices from the colour palette and vibe to messaging and typography. For one brand, ‘luxury’ might look like minimalism and a lot of white space like the Chanel Beauty website but for another it might mean opulence and boldness like the glittering Swarovski website. BOTH can be luxurious, but if they are not aligned with the brand’s strategy they become meaningless.

If you want to have a clearer picture of your brand strategy for your luxury website, you might find my free ‘Brand Clarity’ workbook helpful! 

Tip #2: Tailor the user experience to reflect your brand’s luxury positioning.

The user experience on a website should align with a brand’s overall positioning. What I mean by that is, for example, a brand focussed on simplicity and refinement might have a clean, minimalist user experience with a simplistic and intuitive navigation. Alternatively, a brand centred around exclusivity might include more engaging and interactive features. A great example of luxury ecommerce design is the Loquet London website which features a clever, interactive Locket Builder which is not only a joy to use, supports their brand values - they know that their customers don’t want to simply ‘make a purchase’, they’re looking for an experience and this allows people on their website to visualise what their jewellery piece will look like in a really engaging way.

Tip #3: Choose visuals that align with your brand’s story and client expectations.

All visual choices in a luxury website design - imagery, colours and the overall aesthetic - should be a direct representation of the brand story and what clients expect from their interaction with the brand. For example, a high-end jewellery brand might use ultra-refined and polished imagery with minimal amounts of text to let the products speak for themselves. But a luxury wellness brand might opt for richer, more emotive and sensual visuals in warm colours to create feelings of serenity. 

Luxury website examples:

It’s important to note that visuals on a luxury website (and all marketing) should never be chosen solely for looks - they must serve the brand’s story and connect with their specific audience on an emotional level. 

Tip #4: Custom design elements—no two luxury websites should look the same.

The key to standing out in a competitive, high-end market is custom design - a luxury website should never rely on a template because this will never communicate the brand’s individuality. Custom typography systems, unique layouts and bespoke design features help to elevate the presence of the brand online because these things together equal exclusivity. Every design element should be thoughtfully chosen to reflect the brand’s unique personality. 

In a past website design project for luxury children’s brand, Magic & Monroe, I used custom design elements (such as a custom coded sparkle cursor) and delicate styling to let the products breathe- this helped the brand stand out from competitors and created the magical and enchanting atmosphere that the brand curated. 

Tip #5: Not all luxury brands are minimalist—design to match your brand’s personality.

It’s a bit of a myth that a luxury website design should be minimalistic with lots of white space. There is no ‘universal’ approach and the key is designing to speak to the brand’s unique personality. A luxury wedding supplier might use soft, romantic visuals with elegant flourishes and delicate typography whereas a high-end tech company might use bold, futuristic designs to communicate their innovation. 

Every brand’s definition of ‘luxury’ is different, and their website should reflect that. Think about what luxury means to your brand, and your customer and design around that interpretation. 

A great example of a non-minimalist, high-end ecommerce website design is the colourful online shop I designed for London-based jewellery brand, Lobster & Love. The brand is all about colour, stacking, mixing and matching and telling your unique story through their colourful and playful jewellery pieces. I created a ‘magical sweetie shop of colourful charms and beads’  which really reflect the vibrance and playfulness of the brand. Alongside a seamless and intuitive user experience the website still stays true to the joyful shopping adventure their customers want.

How strategic luxury website design can transform your business.

A website that is strategically designed based on a brand’s individuality will elevate it’s online presence, build a stronger connection with ideal clients and more importantly, drive conversions and long term growth. Every decision - from the visuals to the user experience - should be guided by a comprehensive understanding of the brand’s strategy and goals - taking your brand from budget market stall to elegant boutique vibes, effortlessly.