The Look of Marketing is Changing; Here are 5 Web Design Trends Leading the Way
Websites used to be all about the visual pop. Trying to captivate your visitors with slick aesthetics. But that also led to some clunky sites with slow load times and poor overall functionality.
In today’s web design trends we’re seeing more businesses focusing on their site’s functionality, and ultimately, more on the overall user experience. Business owners that aim to make it big online should really take these two major ranking factors seriously.
In an effort to prioritize these business needs; we’re also seeing trends in web design change dramatically. Flashy design elements are out the window… what’s hot are conversion-focused design improvements.
Here are five of the rising web design trends that are making big changes to the look of marketing:
1. One Page Scrolling Sites and Long Scrolling Pages
You may have heard a “web guy” mention the term “Above the Fold” before. One of the simplest rules of in web design has always been to ensure that the most important content is “above the fold”. In web design, this means the most critical information and elements, like call-to-action buttons, should be placed on the screen as the page loads. Meaning, that information is visible when the page loads without the need for the user to scroll down. Now this golden rule has flown out of the window.
Your site’s visitors are now expected to scroll down, especially with over 70% of traffic coming from users on mobile devices. So the need for putting everything above the fold is gone, and sites are now becoming longer, making way for more content on each page. While it’s no longer the “golden rule” to keep your hot buttons and important content above the fold; in some cases it’s still a good idea.
If you are going do long-scrolling pages, I recommend that you provide a sticky scrolling menu to make navigation easy for your visitors. As long as the menu scrolls along with the page; your customer won’t have to scroll back to the top just to view another page.
2. What Are Micro-Interactions?
Some of the biggest web design trends in site design nowadays are micro-interactions. Some even say sites that do not have micro-interactions are seen as old and/or lame. But what are micro-interactions anyway?
Micro-interactions are the small details that highlight an action your visitors have done on a site. One example would be the send button of your contact form being grayed out until the user is able to provide the proper details following the required format (email, phone, etc…). The send button then becomes available as the user provides the required information. This minute change is called a micro-interaction.
There are many more types of micro-interactions. All of these are an attempt to make the site experience more enjoyable by appealing to the user’s senses. Major sites like Facebook Messenger that comes with sound, and grows bigger as you hold the button have shown to be popular micro-interactions with their users.
The bottom line is that these micro-interactions aim to make the user experience more interactive and enjoyable. It’s a great idea to study what kind of micro-interaction you can implement on your site.
3. Dramatic Typography
It used to be that you just needed to make sure your text was readable… now, it’s grown into a design element in its own right. Typography has begun to have a developing impact on web design.
Certain typefaces (also known as font family), are now seen to have their own personality. The goal is to find the one that best fits your site’s personality. Some business owners have actually paid to have their own personal typeface, and doing this helps promote brand recognition.
Not everyone is going to purchase their own typeface, but a good rule is to make sure you use a standard set of typefaces across your site. Having too many different fonts on your site can make it visually unappealing to your visitor, causing them to click away. Keeping your typeface consistent will go a long way towards satisfying your visitor’s senses.
Really it all comes down to how you want to appeal to your users. Modifying the typography is an easy option you can take.
4. Page Transitions
For the most part, page transitions have previously been ignored as an aspect of web design. A page transition happens when you click a link on one page to go to another. Typically when you go to another page, you first go to to a blank page and then the new page loads from there.
Today we’re seeing more site owners who no longer settle for this boring transition. More and more sites seamlessly transition from one page to the next, generating a smooth flow between two pages. This trend is a much more visually appealing transition and is definitely an upgrade to your site. I expect to see many more web designers practice page transitions moving forward.
I know, I know… this might look unimportant to some, but it actually does improve the user’s experience. Remember, the goal is to captivate a site visitor and good page transition promotes a longer stay on your site. One big thing to keep in mind though is that it’s not just about how good the page transition looks. If the transition is slow and the next page doesn’t load quickly you could be “shooting yourself in the foot”.
5. Chatbots Integration
Tools and functionalities that are implemented into your site “behind the scenes” can also improve a user’s experience. A little known fact is that design is not all about visual elements. It’s also how the site is planned in general.
In the past few years we have seen the rise in the use of chatbots. As artificial intelligence continues to improve, chatbots are becoming a must for websites. Let’s face it, chatbots help improve the user experience and create a definite advantage for those who apply them.
Chatbots are used to help you provide a virtual customer service, and most importantly, a better relationship with your clients. It’s a great idea to implement chatbots into your site.
Design your Site for Success
Your website’s overall design has a huge impact on how well your site will succeed. It is therefore crucial that you give it a ton of attention. Just remember, the design is’t only about how your site looks… but also about how well it performs.
These 5 web design trends are a few of the top web design trends that I’ve noticed to be changing the online marketing landscape. If you haven’t already, you should consider implementing one or all of these to your own site’s design. These have helped many of my clients and can help you as well when done right.
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