Website design trends come and go as all trends do. Remember when side menus were cool? Or flash intros? Website design has evolved significantly and will continue to. So what are some website design trends that will have ultimate impact for your site? Read our list!
It’s all about the scroll and swipe.
Once upon a time, website design was constructed on the idea of being above the fold. That’s when websites were viewed more on standard desktops. The strategy was that anything super important needed to be shown on what was considered the top of the fold. Anything under it may not be viewed. Well, that’s all gone with the wind now. Users view websites on many different devices so each user has a different experience. With responsive design, the website shifts depending on device. What’s important now for the user experience is that it’s easy to scroll or swipe to gain more information. Don’t make users click if not necessary. Scrolling and swiping are more instinctual for users now so use this to your advantage.
Video can make a difference in conversions.
Users love video! In fact, YouTube is the second largest search engine (after Google) and the third most visited site (after Google and FaceBook). But using just any video in your website design won’t do. Be strategic. If your conversion goal is demo driven, preview the demo on the landing page. If you sell actual products, include clips of those product in real settings. Keep videos short (60 seconds or less) so that you keep the audience engaged.
Duotone images provide a consistent look.
Do you have a lot of different images on your site? Logos, illustrations, head shots, etc.? If you are thinking that a diverse imagery pool might look odd then try duotones. To create duotones, use a black and white image and cover it with a color. Here’s an example.
Duotones make great hero backgrounds. It helps balance the different images and create a cohesive look.
Font as design.
Font use can be pretty basic. Try something different. But not so different that it’s unreadable. Try an accent font only in some areas to bring attention to key actions or conversion paths. Once you make some small tweaks, measure the page views and conversions where you added new fonts. Did anything change? If it did positively then try that same tactic in other places. Font can be an easy way to make a website page more unique. Remember, there’s more out there than Calibri and Arial.
Use more color.
This is something that you can experiment with on landing pages or internal pages. It’s probably not best for a home page. Try some vivid colors on pages to determine if it makes people stick around longer or convert. You can also use colors in your blog posts. And of course in infographics. Don’t be afraid to embrace color, but make sure those that you use are complementary – i.e. all pastels or neons.
Add some custom designs.
If you have the talent available to create unique designs and illustrations, use it! Yes, many pages will still need to use stock imagery (just not too stocky!), but there are definitely opportunities to create some one-of-a-kind designs in high traffic areas like the home page, blogs or resource pages and a testimonial page. Focus these designs on pages where you want the most views. Users will appreciate the custom designs and will be more likely to have a favorable experience.
Website design trends can help your website stand out. But don’t get too trendy. Try a few of these options then measure to see if there was a noticeable change in key metrics. Your website is your public face so make sure it’s memorable, relevant and interesting.
