While there are aspects of web design that will never go out of style — like data security, user-friendly navigation, and fast load times — there are also great trends to look out for. When you jump on a great trend, you might just find yourself at the forefront of search engines.
How might that be? Adding innovative and impressive website elements and features is a great way to generate more buzz for your website. In this blog post, we share fresh and trending ideas for your website’s digital marketing efforts. Read on below to find out more.
Minimalism
Minimalism is often referred to as “flat design,” and while it’s nothing new in terms of web design, it’s definitely a trend that we should consider jumping on to. It’s typically associated with plain spaces of just black or just white (Apple is the most popular example). However, this seemingly “boring” arrangement is expected to flourish in 2022, with many companies estimated to try designs that feature colorful minimalism.
A prime example of colorful minimalism design has already been showcased by Shopify. Their website features pages with a bold background against clean text and low-key elements of design that make everything of importance pop out. Such a simple design is both easy-on-the-eyes and is pleasant to look at, proving that minimal doesn’t equal boring.
Frosted Glass
This one is both creative and trendy. Thanks to the advances in website designs, we now have access to the quick and easy creation of frosted glass effects for our websites. This ingenious design allows for text or objects that appear over the blurry image to remain readable while adding color to an otherwise barren area. Due to this, the frosted glass effect has become a popular choice for designers, making it the preferred background instead of gradients.
Accessibility
Accessibility and availability aren’t just a trend — there is now an increasing need for web designers to factor in a wider audience, such as those with disabilities. When we have a website that most (if not all) visitors can explore and interact with, we can provide much better customer service. Furthermore, it can lead to much higher satisfaction ratings which in turn, will boost SEO, increase conversion, and expand our audience.
Here are a few things to consider to improve the accessibility of your website:
- The use of functional alt tags on images (this also boosts your SEO)
- The use of instructions and labels instead of low-context placeholders for your form fields
- The use of color contrasts between backgrounds and text
- The use of focus indicators — one such example is having a rectangular outline that will show up on links as you navigate the keyboard
Page Speed and Load Time
This is probably one of the most important aspects when talking about web design standards. Having an ultra-fast load time has been a critical factor in both SEO and UX for years. Today, this is still the case and should be a top priority for your website if you really want to convert better and rank well. In fact, load time and page speed are so important that Pinterest actually reduced their wait times by an astounding 40%, resulting in an increase in traffic and sign-ups by 15%.
Furthermore, studies revealed that over half the people who browse online expect each website they visit to load within two seconds of clicking on a link. If your website takes over three seconds to load, then it’s game over — the visitor will leave and probably won’t return. The bottom line? Your website’s performance has a direct link to how your company stacks up against others.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the term “location, location, location” when it comes to real estate. This expression refers to how important the location is when on the hunt for an investment property. When it comes to website building and designing, we need to pay attention to “conversion, conversion, conversion.” There’s no doubt that a website’s loading time is the standard metric to consider when you want to deliver a great user experience.
Conclusion
In the next year, we can expect to see well-thought-out and clean-looking websites that use clever design elements to capture attention and enhance the visitor’s overall experience. If you’re looking to jump in the wagon, you’ll need PERC to provide you with expert advice to positively impact your website. If you want to incorporate what has been discussed above into your site, give us a call today at 612-254-6300 for your free consultation!
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